 During his tenure as GM with the Pirates, Bonifay never compiled a winning season, however in 1997 the team remained competitive until the final week of the season and finished in 2nd place with a 79–83 record on just a $9 million payroll.At the beginning of the 1997 season, most analysts picked the Pirates to finish last with over 100 losses.After he was fired in 2001 by Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy, Bonifay signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as their director of player development and scouting.