Baseball fans should expect to see less of outfielder Matt Stairs next year. That doesn’t mean Stairs is going into seclusion. To the contrary. He will see plenty of time in right field with the Pirates next season after finalizing a one-year, $900,000 contract Wednesday morning. It’s just that, from a physical standpoint, there isn’t as much of the 34-year-old free-agent acquisition to go around as there was, say, a few months ago. Stairs has spent his off-season adhering to a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. He has dropped 15 pounds after weighing 228 at the end of his only season with the Milwaukee Brewers. His goal is to shed eight more pounds and weigh a 205 when he reports to his first Pirates spring training in February. Stairs might not shed his beer-league, softball-player look, but he wants to make sure his weight isn’t an issue this season. “I’m in great shape, feel awesome and think I can get in even better shape,” Stairs said yesterday after the Pirates announced the signing, which wasn’t finalized until he passed a physical. “I hired a personal trainer and have been working out with him for an hour a day, four days a week. I feel as good as I did in my Oakland days.” A slimmer Stairs could mean a more productive Stairs. Before coming back to the National League in 2001, Stairs spent five seasons in Oakland. From 1997-99, he averaged 30 homers and 94 RBI for the Athletics, hitting a career-high 38 homers in 1999. In the past two seasons, with the Chicago Cubs and Brewers, respectively, Stairs was a role player, starting mostly against right-handed pitching. In 270 at-bats last season, he batted .244 with 16 home runs and 41 RBI. “Our reports are that he’s been working hard and in decent shape,” Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said. Littlefield signed Stairs so he could help address the offense’s shortcomings. The Brewers were the only National League team to score fewer runs than the Pirates last season. The Pirates also finished 15th in terms of generating RBI from the right-field position. Stairs is the second left-handed power-hitting threat acquired by Littlefield in as many months. In November, Littlefield acquired first baseman Randall Simon from the Detroit Tigers for three minor-league players. “If you look at Simon and Stairs, they are two bats that were fairly productive last year,” Littlefield said. “We acquired them without giving up too much, without losing anything off the major-league roster and at very reasonable prices. “We realize we’re not getting perfect fits and premium players to fill those voids. But taking all things into account, it fits a lot of needs that we have.” Stairs was courted by the Toronto Blue Jays before deciding to accept the Pirates offer. The chance to play frequently and the chance to be part of a “fun offense” were reasons he decided to remain in the National League Central. “I think we can have four or five guys with 20 homers and drive in a lot of runs if the other guys get on base,” Stairs said. “The key is having healthy pitching. If we have that, we can win some games.” Stairs is looking forward to playing half of his games at PNC Park. He is one of only eight players to deposit a home run into the Allegheny River, doing so on the bounce. His prominent upper-cut swing is similar to that of another stocky Pirates outfielder — Brian Giles. “I love watching him and the way he approaches hitting,” Stairs said. “It’s fun to watch him play and hit. I think I have the same type of style. I look forward to making another splashdown, having fun in right field and playing hard for this team.” With Stairs in the fold, Littlefield can fix his sights on acquiring a right-handed hitting center fielder, depth for the bullpen and another veteran candidate for the starting rotation. The trouble is, Littlefield is believed to have less than $1 million to spend. That’s after the Pirates come to terms with Simon and pitcher Brian Meadows, who are eligible for salary arbitration. The Pirates are close to signing Meadows. Littlefield will have a better gauge on the type of players he can afford after Friday, the deadline for teams to offer contracts to unsigned players. Those non-tendered players will enter an already expansive free-agent pool, potentially driving down prices. “We think there will be a market that could give us some potential candidates to fill our needs,” Littlefield said.

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