Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants completed a $15.8 million, one-year contract Monday night after the slugger spent hours at the ballpark being examined by team doctors.
A baseball official confirmed the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Giants had not yet announced it.
The contract was finalized nearly two months after the sides reached agreement on financial terms Dec. 7, the final day of baseball’s winter meetings. Bonds had to pass a physical, and the parties had to work out complicated language regarding Bonds’ behavior and what would happen if the slugger were to be indicted.
A federal grand jury is investigating whether Bonds perjured himself when he testified in 2003 in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid distribution case that he hadn’t knowingly taken any performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds, who traveled to the Bay Area from his offseason home in Southern California, underwent X-rays and many other tests from multiple team doctors.
The 42-year-old Bonds begins the 2007 season with 734 home runs, 22 from breaking Hank Aaron’s career record of 755.
Bonds can earn another $4.2 million in performance bonuses based on how much he plays. If he matches last year’s effort, 493 plate appearances, 130 games, he would receive the whole amount.
After missing all but 14 games in 2005 following three operations on his right knee, Bonds batted .270 with 26 homers and 77 RBIs and drew 115 walks last year. He passed Babe Ruth to move into second place on the career home run list May 28.
A day after the season ended, owner Peter Magowan said Bonds would no longer be the centerpiece of the franchise if he played for the Giants in 2007 — and then the club signed ace Barry Zito to a $126 million, seven-year contract earlier this month. San Francisco hosts the All-Star game this summer, and Bonds is certain to bring attention to the city leading up to the event.
Bonds has spent 14 years with San Francisco and helped the Giants draw 3 million fans in all seven seasons in their waterfront ballpark. He has long hoped to end his career with the team for which his late father, Bobby, and godfather, Willie Mays, once played.
SUNS FINALLY LOSE: The hard-driving Phoenix Suns finally hit a road block in Kevin Garnett.
Garnett almost single-handedly snapped the Suns’ 17-game winning streak, scoring 44 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Minnesota’s 121-112 victory on Monday night.
The All-Star forward was everywhere in the final period against the Suns, dropping turnaround jumper after turnaround jumper to give Phoenix its first loss of 2007.
He scored 15 points in the fourth, including a looping jump shot from the baseline that gave Minnesota a 118-109 lead with 1:55 to play, and put new coach Randy Wittman on the way to a win in his home debut.
Raja Bell scored 26 points and Steve Nash had 20 points and 18 assists for the Suns, who were looking to tie for the fourth-longest winning streak in NBA history.
But one night after downing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for No. 17 in a row, the Suns couldn’t find an answer for Garnett and uncharacteristically lost their offensive mojo in the fourth quarter.
After scoring 95 points in the first three quarters, Phoenix managed just 19 in the fourth.
STEPHENS BASKETBALL: The Stars lost 71-57 to Central Methodist on Monday night in Fayette.
Ali Roper, Rachel Henderson, Jo Marquez and Stephanie Dippold all had eight points for the Stars (6-11). Danielle Boraz led the Eagles (4-16) with 16 points.
“They really took us out of our game in the first half,” Stars coach Dane Pavlovich said, whose team trailed 37-28 at halftime.
The Stars next game is at 7 p.m. Thursday at home against Missouri Valley (10-11).