Seven-time NL MVP Barry Bonds didn't need the New York Yankees, and the Yankees didn't need him. The California native became baseball's all-time home run leader (762) over the course of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, while the Yankees won four World Series titles during that time.
However, Bonds never won a championship. The closest the slugger got was in 2002, when the Giants fell to the Anaheim Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels) in seven games in the World Series. He logged a 1.559 OPS with eight homers and 16 RBIs over 17 playoff games that year.
It could've been a different story had Bonds signed with the Yankees. The 61-year-old explained how it almost happened during Netflix's broadcast of Wednesday's Opening Day game between the Yankees and Giants.
"I would've been a Yankee, but [then-Yankees owner George] Steinbrenner got on the phone and he called us, and he told me 'Barry we are going to give you the money to make you the highest paid player at that time, but you have to sign the contract by 2 o'clock this afternoon,' and I said 'Excuse me?', and I just hung the phone up," he said.
Bonds then said the Giants called him, and he chose his hometown team. The 14-time All-Star grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula.
Bonds signed a then-record six-year, $43.75 million deal with the Giants in December 1992. The 12-time Silver Slugger followed in his father Bobby Bonds's footsteps, who played in San Francisco from 1968 to 1974. His godfather and Hall of Famer Willie Mays also played with the club from 1951 to 1952 and from 1954 to 1972.
The Yankees went on to develop the "Core Four" and form baseball's next dynasty. The Core Four was shortstop Derek Jeter, closer Mariano Rivera, catcher Jorge Posada, and starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, who led the team to titles in 1996 and from 1998 to 2000. Their last one was in 2009, two years after Bonds retired.
Yankees Win 7-0 On Wednesday
© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
New York dominated in San Francisco's Oracle Park to begin the 2026 campaign. Starting pitcher Max Fried tossed 6.1 scoreless innings, and the offense overcame superstar Aaron Judge's 0-for-5 night.
Shortstop Jose Caballero broke the ice with an RBI single in the second inning before third baseman Ryan McMahon registered a two-run single right after. Center fielder Trent Grisham followed up with a two-run triple in the same frame before designated hitterGiancarlo Stanton hit a two-run single in the fifth. Finally, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit into a fielder's choice right after, and first baseman Ben Rice scored on a throwing error.
Up next is a rematch in San Francisco on Friday. The game will start at 4:35 p.m. ET.
