Barry Bonds Turned Down Yankees Contract Offer from Steinbrenner

Bonds' agent confirms 1992 call from suspended Yankees owner with deadline

Mar. 27, 2026 at 2:53am by Ben Kaplan

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In a surprising revelation, Barry Bonds' agent Jeff Borris has confirmed that Bonds received a contract offer from suspended New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in 1992 when Bonds was a free agent. Borris said he witnessed Bonds reject Steinbrenner's offer, as Bonds preferred to sign with the San Francisco Giants, where he grew up and his father Bobby was the hitting coach.

Why it matters

This story provides a rare glimpse into the contract negotiations of one of baseball's all-time greats, Barry Bonds, and sheds light on the behind-the-scenes dealings of the notoriously meddlesome Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who was suspended from baseball at the time.

The details

According to Borris, Steinbrenner called Bonds directly in Borris' office in Beverly Hills and made an offer with a deadline, which Bonds promptly rejected. Borris said he felt uncomfortable at the time since the Yankees' offer would have made Bonds the highest paid player, but the Giants' deal also included a hitting coach job for Bonds' father Bobby, which held strong sentimental value.

  • In late 1992, Bonds was a free agent.

The players

Barry Bonds

One of the greatest baseball players of all time, who played for the San Francisco Giants for the majority of his career.

George Steinbrenner

The former owner of the New York Yankees, known for his hands-on management style and volatile personality.

Jeff Borris

Barry Bonds' agent who witnessed the contract negotiations with Steinbrenner.

Bobby Bonds

Barry Bonds' father, who was the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants.

Peter Magowan

The soon-to-be official owner of the San Francisco Giants at the time of Bonds' free agency.

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What they’re saying

“I recall standing next to Barry in my office in Beverly Hills while he was on the phone with George. Although I could not hear what George was saying, I know the substance was that he was giving Barry a deadline to accept the Yankee offer.”

— Jeff Borris, Barry Bonds' agent

“I remember at the time feeling uncomfortable because the Yankee offer would have made Barry the highest paid player and Peter Magowan was not yet the official owner of the Giants, so any negotiations we were having with the Giants didn't have any teeth in it.”

— Jeff Borris, Barry Bonds' agent

“There was a lot of romanticism around San Francisco.”

— Barry Bonds confidant

The takeaway

This story provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the contract negotiations of one of baseball's all-time greats, Barry Bonds, and the meddling ways of the notoriously hands-on Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, even while he was suspended from the sport. It highlights the sentimental pull of Bonds' hometown Giants and the importance of family ties in his decision-making process.