What's next? (757.) But now what?

Barry Bonds was back in the lineup Wednesday night, and No. 757 took flight into McCovey Cove beyond the right-field wall at AT&T Park in San Francisco, adding to his total a day after breaking the record.

So what's next for the controversial slugger, other than stirring endless debate among every baseball columnist and analyst? He's not in a pennant race, as the Giants are one of the worst teams in baseball. And Bonds might have a fight on his hands to keep his record, both in a real sense and a perceived sense.

What's in George Mitchell's report?

That's a big question that should be answered soon. The former U.S. senator was picked by commissioner Bud Selig to conduct a thorough investigation into steroids in baseball, and we know he's talked to Gary Sheffield. And we know that Sheffield threw Bonds under the bus, saying he took steroids (unknowingly - he says he didn't know it was a steroid) with Bonds during offseason workouts.

If Mitchell's report contains enough evidence for Selig to suspend him or ban him, what happens to the record? Does he make the Hall of Fame? Does he become the home run-hitting version of Pete Rose?

What will happen to Greg Anderson?

Bonds' former trainer is likely celebrating, but he's still in jail for contempt of court for refusing to testify in a wide-ranging grand jury investigation into whether Bonds committed perjury in the BALCO case.

The grand jury was recently extended for six months longer. Now that Bonds has the record, will Anderson want to end his imprisonment and begin to cooperate with authorities? Probably not, but you never know.

Where will Bonds play next year?

His contract is up, and it doesn't look like he'll spend 2008 in San Francisco. Giants owner Peter Magowan has said that he knows that spending massive amounts of money to keep Bonds isn't good for the long-term health of his team. They're one of the worst teams in the league with Bonds, and he's not getting any younger. Bonds reiterated Tuesday to ESPN that he doesn't believe he's finished yet. But a new deal will probably have to be in the AL as a designated hitter - he's barely adequate in the field anymore - and will Bonds' ego allow him to take a significant pay cut?

The latest weird scenario: He could go play in Japan and chase Sadaharu Oh's pro baseball record of 868. And he didn't shut the door on that.