Cubs, Outfielder Scott Hairston agree to terms on two-year contract

The Chicago Cubs and outfielder Scott Hairston have agreed to terms on a two-year contract.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.   

To make room for Hairston on the 40-man roster, outfielder Tony Campana was designated for assignment.

Hairston, 32, batted .263 (99-for-377) with 25 doubles, 20 home runs and 57 RBI in 134 games with the New York Mets last season, setting career highs in home runs, games played and slugging percentage (.504).  Hairston was one of only eight National League outfielders to have at least a .500 slugging percentage and reach 20 home runs and 25 doubles last season.  The versatile outfielder saw action in left field (59 games), right field (48 games) and center field (14 games). 

The right-handed batter and thrower hit .286 (54-for-189) with 17 doubles, 11 home runs, 30 RBI, a .550 slugging percentage and an .867 OPS against left-handed pitching last season.  He tied for fourth in the league in home runs, ranked fourth in doubles and was 13th in slugging percentage against southpaws.  Hairston also tied for second in all of baseball with three pinch-hit home runs in 2012.

The 6-foot, 204-pound Hairston joins the Cubs after playing all or part of the last nine major league seasons with Arizona (2004-07), San Diego (2007-09, 2010), Oakland (2009) and the Mets (2011-12).  He is a career .247 hitter (543-for-2,197) with 124 doubles, 17 triples, 95 homers and 279 RBI in 777 big league games.  Hairston broke into the majors with Arizona in 2004 at the age of 23 and enjoyed his first full big league season in 2007. 

Hairston is one of five members of his family to play in the majors and becomes the third member of his family to join the Cubs organization.  His uncle, Johnny, played for the Cubs in 1969 and his brother, Jerry, played for the Cubs from 2005-06.  Scott, his brother, his father (Jerry) and his grandfather (Sam) comprise one of only four families that have seen three generations play in the big leagues, joining the Bells, Boones and Colemans.  Scott is also one of three third-generation players now in the Cubs organization, joining pitcher Casey Coleman and third base coach David Bell. 

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Hairston spent part of his high school years at Naperville North and was originally selected by the Diamondbacks out of Central Arizona Junior College in the third round of the 2001 Draft.

Campana, 26, batted .262 (46-for-174) with nine doubles, one home run, 54 stolen bases, a .306 on-base percentage and a .300 slugging percentage in 184 games with the Cubs covering the last two seasons.