The Associated Press is reporting that the Tampa Bay Rays are discussing internally whether to sign the new home run king, Barry Bonds. Both manager Joe Maddon and Rays VP Andrew Friedman have said there’s no story, but someone is likely to give Bonds a chance this spring. Why not the Rays?

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Bonds’ agent has been in touch with the Rays. Going to a team with mostly an apathetic fan base might be a good place for Bonds. Yet, he can’t but help the franchise’s woeful attendance figures, whether fans come to cheer or ridicule him. If Bonds is productive, the cheers should drowned out the boos.

Signing Bonds would be an odd move after the Rays dealt both Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes over the winter. Tampa Bay left fielder Carl Crawford hasn’t been shy in saying how they were bad for the clubhouse and how he appreciates their departures.

Bringing Bonds aboard could put a damper on that rosy atmosphere. All the media attention the star slugger draws will turn the clubhouse into a circus at times, especially with perjury and obstruction of justice charges pending.

There’s been some buzz in the Rays camp this spring about competing for a playoff berth in 2008. Maybe having a .500 season for the first time in franchise history is more realistic, and the front office has to decide if signing Bonds helps the team finally approach that benchmark. There’s been only one 70-win season in the franchise's 11-year history -- in 2004, when the Rays were 70-91.

With the young outfield of Crawford, B.J. Upton and Rocco Baldelli in place, Bonds would be used almost exclusively as a designated hitter. He would cut into the DH duties of left-handed-hitting Cliff Floyd and right-handed-hitting Jonny Gomes. Is Bonds likely to provide that much more than Floyd and Gomes?

Then again, how often does a team get a chance to add a bona fide Hall of Famer? No matter what he might have done to enhance his performance on the field, the guy was going to hit at least 500 home runs and steal at least 400 bases. There have to be young Rays players who can benefit from seeing Bonds go about his work or picking his brain.

The question is: does his presence on the field and in the clubhouse offer more than it takes away from a promising group of young kids who are trying to turn around the franchise’s fortunes? The price might be right to take a chance.