Bonds Loses Arbitration, Gets $2.3 Million

Pittsburgh’s Barry Bonds, the National League most valuable player, lost his arbitration bid for $3.3 million Sunday and was awarded $2.3 million instead.

It was the second consecutive victory of sorts for the Pirates. On Saturday, right fielder Bobby Bonilla lost his request to receive an arbitration record of $3,475,000 in 1991 and will make $2.4 million.

Bonds hit .301 last year, with 33 home runs and 114 runs batted in. He made $850,000 last season after losing an arbitration bid for $1.6 million, up from his 1989 salary of less than $400,000.

Bonilla also lost in arbitration for the second consecutive year. Last year, the anger of Bonds and Bonilla over losing in arbitration was credited with spurring their on-the-field success.

“They wanted to show Carl Barger and everybody else,” said Barger, the club’s president.

The Pirates have tried to sign Bonilla to a long-term deal, but Bonilla has hinted he will become a free agent after this season.