Bonds working on collusion grievance vs. MLB

Barry Bonds believes there has been a concerted effort to keep him out of MLB since 2007.(USATSI)

All-time home run king Barry Bonds is going ahead with a case against MLB regarding his claim of collusion by teams that prevented him from obtaining a playing job following the 2007 season, people with knowledge of the case said.

Bonds has long contended that a collusion of MLB owners effectively ended his career following the ’07 season, when he set the career home run record with 762 homers.

Sources say Bonds is working now on a grievance against MLB regarding the way his career ended. He could potentially file a lawsuit, as well, but he appears to be working with MLB Players Association now, as is allowed by rules, in an effort to address what he sees as an injustice.

Bonds technically couldn’t file a lawsuit against MLB until the matter is first addressed through the grievance process, as the CBA doesn’t allow it.

Bonds has told folks since he left the game he believes there was a concerted effort to keep him out of the game by baseball powers, though he sought to wait to go ahead with his case until his legal issues related to BALCO were resolved. Last month, a US Court of Appeals reversed his 2011 felony conviction for obstruction of justice related to grand jury testimony in 2003, fully clearing him in the case. Sources say he is now planning to move ahead with the case against MLB.

Bonds has said he received no offers to play after the ’07 season, when he set the all-time mark, hitting 28 home runs for the San Francisco Giants while leading the National League with a .480 on-base percentage and 1.045 OPS. Bonds at the time suggested he’d play for the minimum if an offer was forthcoming, but none apparently ever came.

Bonds, who made $19.3 million in 2007, including about $5 million in incentives, has had an uneasy relationship with MLB since reports surfaced about his link to BALCO. While there’s been no serious thought of stripping him of any MVP awards — he has a record seven such honors — MLB powers were obviously less than thrilled when he broke baseball’s most coveted record, previously held by Hank Aaron with 755 home runs. Bonds, unpopular in many baseball circles due partly to his cantankerous personality as well as the PED connection, received just 36.8 percent of the vote in the 2015 Hall of Fame balloting. That represents just less than half the votes needed for enshrinement.

Bonds had some talks with MLB in recent years about working out a deal in which he would receive a job in the game, but it appears nothing came of those discussions. Bonds worked as a spring instructor with the Giants, to rave reviews from players, and has assisted certain players on his own time, including controversial slugger Alex Rodriguez and Dexter Fowler.

Commissioner Rob Manfred declined comment on the Bonds situation, as did Bonds’ longtime agent Jeff Borris. MLB union chief Tony Clark couldn’t be reached.

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