green and gold Bonds
Blez over at Athletic's Nation put up an interesting pro-con list on the idea of having Barry Bonds in the green and gold.
Blez makes a couple great points, namely that Bonds' on-base and on-base-plus-slugging percentages are the best in baseball, and nowhere near that of Frank Thomas'. Bonds has more speed, more power, etc, etc.
I don't think there's any statistic, sabermetric argument against having Bonds in your lineup.
That said, I also think the "clubhouse poison" argument that Blez tries to make is unfounded. Sure, Bonds is a prima donna, a liar and a cheat ... but oh well, he also wants a ring, and he's a contender. Oakland has a lot of resolve; they'll overcome Bonds in the clubhouse.
The argument of protecting Bonds in the lineup also is not that strong. With Kotsay and Kendall leading to Bonds, you've got a 1-2-3 in the lineup who take a lot of pitches. I believe both Swisher and Chavy will perform well in the four spot.
Finally, talk of Bonds alienating fans or not rooting for Bonds is absurd. Baseball is a cheaters game; there are a large percentage--perhaps even a two-thirds majority--who use banned and illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds is just the best. If he comes to Oakland, I will support him.
3 comments:
I can't see any downside to signing Barry Bonds, assuming the contract is within reason and doesn't cripple the team. But will the Giants let him go? Will the A's be outbid? Would Barry want to move? Those are the big questions. I don't think there's any question he'd help this team. You wanna play work-the-count, station-to-station power ball? OK, Barry is the best ever at it.
I think Wolff would be willing to spend what the Blue Jays paid for Thomas on Bonds not only because he's less of a health liability, and also because of his marketability. We'll see ... I have a hunch it won't work out, anyway.
When you look at some of the free-agent contracts being signed, any deal for Barry Bonds would be a bargain. $45 mil for Juan Pierre? $50 mil for Gary Matthews, Jr.? Well over $100 mil apiece for Ramo and Soriano? A 3-year deal for 39 year-old releiver Jamie Walker? Absolute madness. Billy Beane is gonna have to pull off some spectacular trades if he wants to improve this team, because the free agent market has gone loony. But you're right, Bonds is a huge longshot, albeit a compelling one.
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