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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Will Clark was in the house. So was Pablo Sandoval. And Sergio Romo and Joe Panik. And Jeff Kent and Rich Aurilia. And Jeffrey Leonard and Chili Davis.
The Giants’ spring training camp featured a virtual Who’s Who of heralded franchise alumni. It was a lengthy list of star power representing various eras, as president of baseball operations Buster Posey fully supported stars of the past arriving at Scottsdale Stadium for several days apiece to inspire and work with players and coaches.
There was one noticeable exception. The homers king, the seven-time MVP, the 14-time All-Star. Barry Bonds did not make it to spring training this year.
As it turns out, Bonds doesn’t currently have a contract with the Giants. The previous deal expired in December, and the sides have discussed a new one but haven’t reached a resolution.
Unlike many of the guest coaches who appeared in Scottsdale, Bonds has been a team employee, officially listed as “special adviser,” and regularly appeared at Oracle Park for special events, ceremonies, and to be available for hitters and coaches in the indoor batting cage before games.
As with any employee, even advisers such as Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker, a contract is part of the gig. Nobody represents the team without one. In Bonds’ case, it’s a rare occurrence to be without a contract considering his long history with the franchise — he arrived as a superstar free agent in 1993, played through 2007, and followed with a 10-year personal services contract that began after his playing days.
Since then, he has had a series of contracts, the most recent a five-year deal.
The sides have discussed several ideas including a Bonds statue and where to place it. That’s nothing new — back in June, CEO Larry Baer said in a radio interview on 95.7 The Game that a Bonds statue was “on the radar” and that he “should be next up,” but there were no details at the time.
Since then, Jeff Kent was voted to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee and will be inducted into the Cooperstown shrine in July, and Bochy, Baker, and Posey are all eligible for the Hall of Fame class of 2027. There’s only so much real estate on the Oracle Park property, and the Giants must figure out how to properly honor everyone who’s deserving and how to spread out the dates for everyone to get their day.
In Bonds’ case, if he wants a lifetime contract á la Willie Mays, it’s easy to see his point. If he wants a statue near his godfather’s in Willie Mays Plaza or a tiny piece of ownership, it’s also easy to see his point. We’re not saying this is the case, but we do realize Bonds helped bring unprecedented attendance and revenue to the Giants during his pursuit of the home run records and ought to be recognized for it. For generations of Giants fans too young to experience the Say Hey Kid phenomenon, Bonds was their Mays.
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It’s also easy to see the Giants’ point if they want to separate Mays from every other Giants legend. There was only one Mays. Peter Magowan would say as much. The late owner, who led the group that bought the team and immediately signed Bonds and hired his father, Bobby, as hitting coach, was most responsible for erecting the Mays statue, giving his hero a lifetime contract, and renaming the ballpark address 24 Willie Mays Plaza.
All of that was universally embraced. Mays died in June 2024. With Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, and Gaylord Perry also gone, and Juan Marichal living in the Dominican Republic — all five have statues in their likeness outside the ballpark — the mantle has fallen to Bonds, the greatest living Giant if not the greatest living ballplayer, even with his link to performance-enhancing drugs, which has kept him out of the Hall of Fame.
At Oracle Park, Bonds is always greeted with loud cheers and standing ovations, but he’ll have a different role in Wednesday’s season opener. He won’t be working for the Giants but for Netflix, which will stream the game. Bonds will serve as an analyst on the pregame and postgame shows along with Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo.
Rafael Devers, left, walks to the batting cage to chat with Barry Bonds before a game in 2025. | Source: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
The Arizona portion of spring training ends Saturday, and the Giants play an exhibition against their Triple-A team in Sacramento Sunday and then host a Mexican League team, the Sultanes de Monterrey, Monday and Tuesday, the finale tuneups for the opener against the Yankees.
If Mays were still with us, he’d be the perfect liaison between Bonds and the Giants and could probably help cut a deal in a hurry. He was an excellent negotiator and problem solver, and everyone listened to him. He supported Bonds’ decision to go to college after the Giants drafted him out of high school, supported the Giants signing him in free agency, supported him wearing No. 25 (his dad’s old number), and supported his Hall of Fame candidacy, even campaigning for him at his number retirement ceremony.
For now, it’s wait and see. By all accounts, the sides continue to have a strong relationship, and it doesn’t appear to be about the money. But the sooner a deal is hashed out, the better. In spring training, players have been asking about Bonds. Rafael Devers embraced him from Day One as the Giants’ most feared hitter since, well, Bonds. Another left-handed hitter new to the scene, Luis Arráez, certainly would welcome the old pro’s advice. Indeed, many players have attributed a big moment in a game to Bonds’ tutoring.
The Giants announced this week that five players will be inducted onto their Wall of Fame on Aug. 8: Posey, Brandon Belt, Panik, Brandon Crawford, and Sandoval, essentially their starting infield and catcher from their latest World Series championship team in 2014.
It’ll be a wonderful ceremony. Like other events coming to the ballpark this year, it wouldn’t quite be the same without the homers king.
If the Giants build a Barry Bonds statue, where should they put it? Let us know in the comments, a new feature exclusively for SF Standard members.