Bonds finally signs with Giants

Barry Bonds finally signed his $15.8 million, one-year deal Thursday, ending more than two months of bickering between him and the San Francisco Giants over contract language.

Bonds will report to Spring Training on Monday and will participate in the first full-squad workout Tuesday. Bonds is only 22 homers shy of Hank Aaron's HR record of 755.

Bonds signed on Tuesday and it was then mailed to the Giants and then faxed to the commissioner for official approval. Bonds and the Giants came to an agreement on December 7, and the deal was then announced on January 29.

But his first contract enclosed a clause stating he’s responsible for promotional appearances and it was declined by the commissioner's office. Management and the players' association agreed last year during bargaining not to allow any language in new contracts regarding promotional appearances other than the standard clause in all player contracts.

Bonds has now filled the last Giants Spring Training roster spot. Bonds has been working out at UCLA during the off season and appears as healthy as ever, according to his agent and trainer. Bonds is coming off arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow after last season.

Bonds' 115 walks led the National League, extending his MLB career mark to 2,426. He hit .270 with 23 doubles, 77 RBIs and 74 runs scored in 130 games, amazing totals considering he was hitting .235 as late as Aug. 19. The double in his final at-bat of the 2006 season was his 99th hit of the year, pulling him within 159 of the 3,000th hit mark. The RBI count has him 69 away from 2,000.