Bonds Reveals 1992 Yankees Near-Signing Rejected Over Deadline

Barry Bonds, baseball's all-time home run leader, revealed during a Netflix broadcast of Major League Baseball's Opening Day that he nearly joined the New York Yankees in 1992, only to reject their offer due to an abrupt deadline imposed by team owner George Steinbrenner.

The disclosure came Wednesday night as Bonds served as a special guest analyst during the Yankees' 7-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium. Bonds, who spent the final 15 seasons of his career with the Giants, recounted the pivotal moment from his first free agency after seven years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. "George isn't here anymore, so I can tell the truth, right?" Bonds said, referring to Steinbrenner, who died in 2010. "I would've been with the Yankees, but Steinbrenner got on the phone and called us and told me, 'Barry, we're going to give you the money, the highest-paid player at that time, but you got to sign the contract by 2 o'clock this afternoon.' And I said, 'Excuse me?!' And I just hung the phone up."

Bonds explained that after the call, he stepped out for lunch with his agent, Dennis Gilbert, who was stunned by the decision. "They were like, 'Do you know what you just did?!'...