updated 7:27 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2008

CHICAGO - The Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays were working Friday to complete a trade that would send veteran left-handed hitter Matt Stairs to the Phillies.

Neither Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi nor Phillies GM Pat Gillick would confirm that the trade was official. But the 40-year-old Stairs, who can play the outfield or first, told The Canadian Press he was on his way to Chicago.

“I never really had a say in it,” Stairs said. “They told me I was going to a contending team and that made it a little easier to accept than if I was going to a team that was out of the race. That would have been different.

“This is a good opportunity for me.”

The Phillies, battling the Mets in the NL East, are in need of a left-handed bat because Geoff Jenkins is on the disabled list with a right hip flexor strain.

Stairs has batted .250 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs in 105 games this season for the Blue Jays. Stairs, who broke in with the Montreal Expos in 1992 and will be joining his 11th major league team, has a .266 career average with 252 homers.

The Phillies did make a roster move after a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday when they optioned left-hander Fabio Castro to Triple-A. Castro had been recalled from Triple-A Lebanon Valley on Thursday. That move could clear a roster spot for Stairs.

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