Matt Stairs will fly to Philadelphia tonight and be in uniform when the Phillies face the Cubs Saturday afternoon, according to Stairs' agent.

Earlier today the Phillies agreed to a deal with the Blue Jays to acquire the veteran lefthander, who is hitting .250 with 11 home runs this season.

The original thought was that Stairs would join the team Sunday or Monday. But Stairs could play as soon as tomorrow after joining the Phillies in Chicago.

"Matt is definitely on the Phillies," Bob Garber, Stairs' agent, said in a text message.

Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said he had nothing to report before today's game at Wrigley Field -- "I can't comment on that," Gillick said when asked about Stairs -- but the Phillies are expected to announce the deal shortly.

Stairs is currently in Tampa where the Blue Jays are playing the Rays.

FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal first reported the deal late last night in the wake of the Phillies' crushing loss to the Cubs.

Stairs, 40, is a 16-year veteran who has made his mark as a DH/OF/1B type with good power. He was hitting .250 with 11 home runs and 44 RBI this season for the Blue Jays. He carries career averages of .266 and 25 home runs per 162 games played.

Stairs can fill in in rightfield when needed, but the Phillies view him primarily as a much-needed addition to their bench.

The club looked at veteran Mike Lamb, who was designated for assignment by the Twins, but decided Stairs was a better fit.

The move likely spells the end of the Fabio Castro era. The lefty reliever was called up yesterday from Triple A to replace Drew Carpenter, who was called up from Double A to replace Andy Tracy when the Phillies needed an extra arm following a 13-inning win over the Mets on Tuesday.

The Phillies have been looking for a lefthanded bat for some time. Currently, Greg Dobbs is the only option off the bench.

The deal is for a minor league player to be named later.