Jays bid Stairs adieu

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Jays bid Stairs adieu
August 29
Toronto Star

"It's not quite throwing in the towel, but the optics will be that the Blue Jays are getting close.

First, the Jays are parting ways with their big, friendly Canadian, Matt Stairs.

"Designated for assignment" is the official term. With division races percolating elsewhere, it means the 40-year-old Stairs has been earmarked for a trade to an, as yet, unnamed team. The Jays told him they'd try to let him know just where by tomorrow.

The announcement came down after last night's 3-2 loss to the front-running Tampa Bay Rays.

Coupled with that was word that 20-year-old Travis Snider will be summoned from Triple-A Syracuse to take Stairs' spot on the Jays' roster for their final visit to Yankee Stadium, beginning tonight.

The Jays might not be done, either, as rumours out of Anaheim hit yesterday that the Angels have an interest in one of Toronto's infielders: Marco Scutaro, David Eckstein or John McDonald.

As his one-time teammates packed for their charter to New York, Stairs stood quietly sipping a beer at his locker.

On arrival last season, Stairs, born in Saint John, N.B., but raised in Fredericton, often said he wanted to retire a Blue Jay. Last night, he had to modify that to "maybe as a manager or coach."

He also said that he had enjoyed his time with Toronto but he was ready to press on. He understood.

"It's part of baseball. Nothing much you can do about it," he said, 11 homers and 44 RBIs in the books for the season. "It might've been different if we'd been a little closer. It might've been different if I'd been swinging the bat well ... putting up numbers like I had last year (.289, 21 homers, 64 RBIs.)"

Stairs seemed to have an inkling where he might be headed (the Dodgers once had interest) but wouldn't/couldn't say.

No hints were forthcoming, either, from manager Cito Gaston or, also in Tampa Bay, team president Paul Godfrey and/or assistant GM Alex Anthopoulos. But presumably it's to a contender, a team that might have a place for, at worst, a left-handed bat off the bench.

All Stairs knew was that he would rather be competing for the Jays."

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Baseball/article/487513