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Blue Jays finalize deals for Stairs, Smith

Last Updated: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 | 6:12 PM ET

CBC Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays did a little housekeeping Tuesday, including finalizing a contract for Canadian outfielder Matt Stairs.

Stairs, 36, signed a minor-league contract with Toronto, but will earn $850,000 US if, as expected, he makes the major-league roster.

Fredericton's Matt Stairs played for Texas, K.C. and Detroit last season.
(Ed Zurga/Associated Press)

The Fredericton native will pocket $400,000 US as a signing bonus and the remaining $450,000 US as salary.

Stairs split last season between the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers, hitting .247 with 13 home runs, 51 runs batted in and 42 runs scored in 117 games.

He is a lifetime .265 hitter with 220 HRs, 751 RBIs and 633 runs in 1,416 games over 14 MLB seasons with the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Rangers, Royals and Tigers.

Stairs trails only Larry Walker (271) in homers by a Canadian, and is just one of three Canadians to sign with both the Expos and Blue Jays, joining Denis Boucher and Rob Ducey.

The Blue Jays also signed veteran infielder Jason Smith to a $500,000 US contract and hired Bill Masse as manager of their double-A Eastern League affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Smith, 29, hit .263 in 99 at-bats with five HRs, 13 RBIs and nine runs in 49 games for the Colorado Rockies last season.

He is a career .232 hitter with 11 HRs, 41 RBIs and 42 runs in 166 MLB games since his debut with the Cubs on June 17, 2001.

Smith also has played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Tigers.

The Blue Jays plucked him off the Cubs' roster in the Rule 5 draft.

With files from the Canadian Press

This story is now closed to commenting.

Internal Links

Stairs excited to be a Blue Jay
Player bio: Matt Stairs
Player bio: Jason Smith
Toronto Blue Jays page
MLB off-season roundup

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