Is Barry Bonds being blackballed?

Barry Bonds, the greatest home run hitter in history and a guy with a high OBP, is still without a team with 2 month to go until the baseball season begins. Is this a sign that Barry Bonds is being blackballed by baseball, or does it just mean that no one is willing to take on the baggage?

It looks funny to people when the all time leader in homers is still without a job when Spring Training rolls around. I can understand the questions of whether or not Bonds is being blackballed, but the answer is really simple: No, he isn’t. Any team that decides to to sign Bonds to one year deal is signing all of Bonds’ baggage as well. Not only will this cause a huge distraction to most of his new teammates, but lest we forget the whole perjury thing. And while his homers and OBP may high above average, who is willing to pay the price in dollars and in distraction to bring him to your team? Outside of the Yankees, I can’t really see a team that has a use from him anyway. The Athletics aren’t going to contend so they won’t pay him enough, the Angels need the DH open to help their aging outfielders take days off, and the teams that aren’t contenders for the the post-season don’t want him either. A National League team would be hard pressed to sign him and make him play outfield, where his diminished range and threat of lower body injuries remain high. It’s not so much that Barry Bonds’ is being blackballed, but rather the game has started to pass him by. We saw this when Sammy Sosa left the Orioles and couldn’t find a team that would give him the money he was looking for. Could he play? Look what he did with Texas last year when he settled for less money and a lesser role. Maybe the problem isn’t that Bonds is getting blackballed… maybe Bonds is just asking for too much.