Bonds Finally Signs Contract

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) _ Barry Bonds finally signed his $15.8 million, one-year contract Thursday, and the slugger is scheduled to report to spring training Monday. <br/><br/>That means he will likely

Thursday, February 15th 2007, 2:44 pm

By: News On 6

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) _ Barry Bonds finally signed his $15.8 million, one-year contract Thursday, and the slugger is scheduled to report to spring training Monday.

That means he will likely participate in the Giants' first full-squad workout Tuesday.

Bonds will fill the final spot on the team's 40-man roster, which had stood at 39 after catcher Mike Matheny went on the voluntary retirement list with a concussion.

Bonds' deal had been unresolved because of contract language. After much back and forth between the sides, the deal got done.

The 42-year-old Bonds has been working out all offseason at UCLA and appears as healthy as ever, according to the Giants, Bonds' trainer and his agent. He had arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome left elbow after the 2006 season.

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 in 130 games last year.

The seven-time NL MVP begins his 22nd major league season 22 homers shy of breaking Hank Aaron's career record of 755.

The Giants and Bonds' representative, Jeff Borris, had differing views of certain language in his contract and Bonds had yet to sign a revised version.

They originally agreed to terms Dec. 7 on the final day of baseball's winter meetings, then the team announced the deal Jan. 29 and Bonds did an interview via conference call.

At issue were specifics about what would happen if the slugger were to be indicted or face further legal trouble, as well as details about a personal-appearance provision that was rejected by the commissioner's office.

The Giants sent revised documents to Borris, which Bonds signed Thursday.

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 long has denied knowingly using steroids.