It’s enough to make Pedro Gomez wish he’d gotten a plum assignment….like going through Rafael Palmeiro’s trash.

From the SF Chronicle’s Henry Schulman.

A decision by Barry Bonds not to return this year could impact the division race. Manager Felipe Alou, discussing his team’s need for a left-handed bat in the middle of the lineup, said Sunday, “We’ve been waiting for a big left-handed hitter: Bonds.”

However, players who have endured a tough year without the left fielder have not been holding their breath.

A reporter was discussing Bonds with a Giants player in Milwaukee when another veteran who overheard the conversation snapped, “I have an idea. Why don’t we not mention his name until he’s here.”