Owner Unsure About Bonds Negotiations

Barry Bonds’ future in San Francisco is no more clear now than it was six months ago.

Giants owner Peter Magowan vowed Sunday to hold off on a decision about bringing back the 42-year-old slugger until after the season, acknowledging it could be a long process before the sides make a decision.

Bonds is in the final season of a five-year, $50-million deal.

“In some ways, he really is the driver of the process,” Magowan said. “Does he want to play or doesn’t he? Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn’t. ... If you want to show me any one particular quote where he says one thing, I can probably show you another one that says the exact opposite, going back quite a ways on this whole subject.”

*

New York Mets left fielder Cliff Floyd got the message: Play now or maybe not at all in October after being limited to 85 games and 291 at-bats by chronic pain in his left Achilles’ tendon.

Manager Willie Randolph doesn’t think Floyd’s injury will improve until the off-season, when he has extended rest. Floyd said he intends to play most of the remaining games, starting today at Florida after meeting with Randolph.

“I don’t see Cliff as a platoon player. I don’t see him as someone that can go to the end of this month not playing, and it’s going to be effective for us,” Mets Manager Willie Randolph said.

Floyd is batting .238 with 10 homers and 38 runs batted in.

*

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays released first baseman Travis Lee. Lee is the major leagues’ career fielding percentage leader (.997) among first basemen with 750 or more games played. He struggled offensively this season, batting .224 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 114 games.

Ty Wigginton and Kevin Witt are expected to get most of the playing time at first base.