Bonds Loses Arbitration, Gets $2.3 Million
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Pittsburgh’s Barry Bonds, the National League most valuable player, lost his arbitration bid for $3.3 million Sunday and was awarded $2.3 million instead.
It was the second consecutive victory of sorts for the Pirates. On Saturday, right fielder Bobby Bonilla lost his request to receive an arbitration record of $3,475,000 in 1991 and will make $2.4 million.
Bonds hit .301 last year, with 33 home runs and 114 runs batted in. He made $850,000 last season after losing an arbitration bid for $1.6 million, up from his 1989 salary of less than $400,000.
Bonilla also lost in arbitration for the second consecutive year. Last year, the anger of Bonds and Bonilla over losing in arbitration was credited with spurring their on-the-field success.
“They wanted to show Carl Barger and everybody else,” said Barger, the club’s president.
The Pirates have tried to sign Bonilla to a long-term deal, but Bonilla has hinted he will become a free agent after this season.
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