Phils step up, acquire Stairs

The Phillies acquisition of outfielder Matt Stairs is official, the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms. It sounds like he's a good fit in Philadelphia, and the Phillies gave up a 5'7" minor league pitcher to get him.

General manager Pat Gillick declined to comment yesterday, but it is easy to see why the club considered Stairs the best available option. While the 40-year-old, who is in his 16th major league season, might be near the end of his career, he hit 21 home runs in 357 at-bats last season. He has had tremendous success in limited action at Citizens Bank Park, hitting six home runs in 27 at-bats, while carrying a .444 career average there.

Stairs comes relatively cheap. The Phillies would owe him only a month's worth of his $2.5 million salary this season; his current 2-year contract calls for a $1 million salary next season.

Fantasy Impact: The Inquirer expects Stairs to be used as a pinch hitter. That means despite his good numbers, he'll be used too infrequently to make a serious play in fantasy.