Barry Bonds reportedly preparing collusion case against MLB

Barry Bonds may be baseball’s home run king, but he apparently isn’t happy with Major League Baseball over how his career came to an unceremonious end.

According to CBS Sports, Bonds is taking steps toward presenting a collusion case against the league. He believes MLB owners intentionally blocked him from signing with another team after his last game with the San Francisco Giants in 2007.

Last month, a federal appeals court reversed his 2011 obstruction of justice conviction related to testimony he gave in 2003 to a federal grand jury investigating illegal steroid distribution. For years, Bonds wished to pursue a collusion case against baseball, the report stated, but he wanted to wait until his obstruction appeal was over.

Although Bonds could file the lawsuit at some point this year, he is working with the MLB Players’ Assn. to address his grievances, the report said. Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement stipulates players address problems through the union first before pursuing independent legal action.

Bonds, a seven-time MVP, was plagued by allegations of steroid use during the final years of his career. He has repeatedly denied using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

The slugger retired with 762 career home runs over 22 seasons. He is the only player in baseball history with 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases.

Bonds was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame on Monday. However, due to his rise to power-hitter prominence during baseball’s steroid era and allegations of PED use, he is considered a long shot for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He received less than half of the votes necessary to be elected to baseball’s 2015 hall of fame class, which is selected by the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America.