May 20, 2013
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Rays have had internal discussions about the prospect of pursuing Barry Bonds.
Manager Joe Maddon says he knows "little" about what's going on, but acknowledges that some thought has been given to signing baseball's career home-run leader.
The St. Petersburg Times reports that team officials have conferred among themselves about Bonds and other veteran unsigned free agents, such as Kenny Lofton and Mike Piazza. The Rays vice president of baseball operations calls the report a "non-story."
Bonds has pleaded not guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from testimony to a federal grand jury in 2003 in which he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.
He was not asked back for the 2008 campaign by his hometown San Francisco Giants.
