Ibanez deal official

Leftfielder Raul Ibanez passed his physical this morning and has officially joined the Phillies.

Ibanez, a free agent from the Seattle Mariners, signed a 3-year, $31.5 million contract. The Phillies have scheduled a 4:30 p.m. news conference.

Here is the release from the Phillies:

Outfielder Raul Ibanez has signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Phillies, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.

Ibanez, 36, batted .293 this past season with 43 doubles, 23 home runs and 110 RBI in 162 games with the Seattle Mariners. A left-handed batter, Ibanez hit .305 (60-197) against left-handed pitching and .288 (126-438) versus right-handers. With runners in scoring position, he batted .327 (56-171), which included a .438 (14-32) clip in his final 25 games of the season. Ibanez is a career .305 hitter with runners in scoring position.

"Raul not only brings a big bat to our lineup, but also a terrific attitude to the clubhouse," said Amaro. "He is a quality individual that will fit in well with our club. We believe that a team wins not only with talent, but also with character and Raul has both."

Over the last three seasons (2006-08), Ibanez had the fourth-most RBI among all major league outfielders (second-most among American League outfielders). During that time span, Ibanez averaged 25 home runs and 112 RBI.

Originally selected by Seattle in the 36th round of the 1992 draft, Ibanez has a career batting average of .286 with 277 doubles, 182 home runs and 794 RBI in 1,384 games with the Mariners (1999-2000; 2005-08) and Kansas City Royals (2001-03).

Ibanez will wear #29.