CHARLOTTE, N. Cedric Killings Jersey Store .C. -- The agent for wide receiver Steve Smith says the five-time Pro Bowl selection has played his final snap for the Carolina Panthers. Smiths longtime representative Derrick Fox told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Smith "is not going to play for the Panthers next year, I know that. I just dont know when that transaction is going to take place." Fox said the Panthers have been trying to trade Smith, but expects he will ultimately be released. He said the Panthers have not asked Smith to restructure his current contract which calls for him to make $7 million under this years salary cap. Regardless of whether the Panthers cut Smith or keep him, the club will have to pay him $3 million this season as part of the three-year contract extension he signed in 2012. Smiths current contract runs through 2016. Smith took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, writing "God has a plan... sometimes it just hurts (to) find out what it is." "I will always be a Carolina panther No contract can ever change that CLT is my home and will always be my home... I love you .panthernation." Smith also wrote: "But I still have a lil bit of football left in me.... .agent89 Out." Fox said Smith, a 13-year NFL veteran, would have preferred to finish his career with Carolina, the team that drafted him in the third round in 2001. Fox said the 34-year-old Smith was "disappointed and surprised" when Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman talked about the receivers future in uncertain terms at the NFL Scouting Combines last month. "Where we are disappointed is the fact he signed an extension to stay loyal to the club and complete his career as a Panther," Fox said. "That is why we did the long-term team deal. Now we are at a crossroads where the Panthers dont want him anymore." Gettleman did not return phone calls seeking comment. Shortly after the Scouting Combine, Smith met with Gettleman at Panthers headquarters, but Fox said the receiver left without a clear, defined role in terms of his future with the team. Fox said Smith diligently rehabbed an injured knee leading up to the teams divisional play game against the San Francisco 49ers with loyalty to the team in mind, thinking his long-term future was in Carolina. Smith had four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown in Carolinas 23-10 loss. "He spent 12 hours a day working with (trainer) Ryan Vermillion to get ready for that game," Fox said. "His goal has always been to stay a Panther." Smith is Carolinas all-time leading receiver with 836 receptions for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns receiving. Smith is 19th all-time in NFL history in yards receiving and 25th in receptions. Smith had 64 receptions for 746 yards and four touchdowns last season helping the Panthers go 12-4 in the regular season and capture the NFC South championship. Fox said Smith plans to continue his playing career in the NFL when the Panthers cut ties. "At 34, they could have kept him and run him in the slot," Fox said. "Steve wants to play in the slot. But he cant play the slot with the current roster, and he hasnt been able to play in the slot with the rosters in the past." Fox said hes not sure why the Panthers havent released Smith. He said he will be ready when that time arrives. "Its my responsibility to find the best place for him to utilize his skills and passion for the game," Fox said. If the Panthers release Smith he will count $5 million under this years cap. The Panthers could designate him for a June 1 release which would allow them to split that money over the next two seasons. NOTES: Panthers restricted free agent cornerback James Dockery announced on Twitter he has re-signed with the team. "Blessed! Cant be happier to be signing back with the (at)Panthers cant wait to get back with our team," Dockery said. The team has yet to announce the move. Emanuel King Jersey Store .S. - Nova Scotias Mary Fay guaranteed at least one more match and a shot at the Canadian junior curling championships final on home ice. Lew Reeve Jersey Store .S. President Barack Obama saluted the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks at the White House on Monday -- a rare moment for a president hungry to see more victorious teams from his hometown. TORONTO -- Its been a bad three-game stretch for the Blue Jays and the numbers tell a bleak story: three straight home losses, 29 runs given up on 42 hits and 13 walks. Toronto (11-12) gave up leads in 10-8 and 11-4 losses to the Baltimore Orioles this week. It was never close Friday as the Boston Red Sox got to Mark Buehrle early en route to an 8-1 win. "Tomorrow comes quickly and early," Jays manager John Gibbons said hopefully, "So we need to get back out and play some good baseball." Its sorely needed. Torontos pitching staff has a combined earned-run average of 4.70 with 99 walks. And the Jays are hitting .247. Boston slugger David Ortiz hit his 50th career homer against the Jays and right-hander Jake Peavey scattered five hits over seven innings in a tidy outing to earn his first win after four non-decisions. A unanimous NL Cy Young Award-winner in 2007, Peavey struck out seven and walked two. The lone blemish on the Peavey scoresheet was a Juan Francisco home run -- his first as a Blue Jay -- in the seventh inning. The six-foot-two 245-pound designated hitter muscled a moonshot that landed in the right-field boxes just under the 500 level. Buehrle (4-1) was trying to become first Blue Jays starter to win his first five starts of the campaign. Instead he wobbled early as the Red Sox (11-13) recorded their 300th career victory against Toronto before an announced crowd of 29,411. The 35-year-old left-hander came into the game with a 4-0 record and MLB-leading 0.64 ERA. Buehrle had allowed two runs in 28 innings, striking out 19 and walking only five batters. The opposition was batting .210 against him. On Friday, he gave up seven runs on 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings, throwing 101 pitches that included 64 strikes. Buehrle walked three, had no strikeouts and saw his ERA increase to 2.16. "Hes been so good. Thats baseball, youre not going to be perfect every time out there," Gibbons said. "Hell bounce back. He was just off tonight, its that simple." Buehrle pointed to his walks and some bloop hits that found holes and eluded defenders. "Youve got to have the luck on your side. I wasnt hitting my spots as good as I was in the past. And when I did they got some base hits. But overall, too many strikes in the middle of the zone and they took advantage of it." Boston outhit Toronto 16-6 with all nine Red Sox starters registering hits on the night. The roof was closed on a wet, windy evening in Toronto. But down the street, Raptors fans braved the elements at Maple Leaf Square to watch Game 3 of Torontos NBA playoff series against the Nets in Brooklyn on the big screen outside the Air Canada CCentre. Paul Martha Jersey Store . . That ending was closer but no more satisfying to locals. A leadoff walk and four hits in the second inning put the Jays behind 4-0 as Boston sent seven men to the plate and Buehrle threw 30 pitches. An A.J. Pierzynski sacrifice fly, Will Middlebrooks single and Dustin Pedroias two-RBI single kept the Boston scoreboard ticking. The inning snapped Buehrles streak of 0-23 with runners in scoring position. An Ortiz home run to deep right field made it 5-0 in the third. It was Ortizs fifth homer of the season and the 436th of his career, moving him within two of tying Andre Dawson and Jason Giambi for 40th place on the MLB all-time list. The Ortiz blast was also his 33rd at the Rogers Centre. Only Alex Rodriguez (36) has hit more in a visitors uniform here. Torontos Jose Bautista doubled in the fourth and has now reached base safely in all 23 games this season. The feel-good story ended quickly when he was caught stealing third, with one out and Edwin Encarnacion on first. Dioner Navarro then popped up to end the threat. "Ive got no idea," Gibbons said when asked what Bautista was thinking. "Its not smart winning baseball. Im sure he wont do it again." Said Peavey: "That was a shot in the arm for us." Middlebrooks, returning to the Boston lineup from a strained right calf injury that had sidelined him since April 4, doubled home Pierzynski in the sixth to make it 6-0. Buehrle exited one hitter later after walking the No. 9 hitter, Jackie Bradley Jr. Neil Wagner followed Buehrle and soon had to deal with the bases loaded, with two out, after a Jose Reyes error and Ortiz walk. Wagner walked Mike Napoli to make it 7-0, after the Boston first baseman had fouled off a string of balls with the count full, before striking out Jonny Gomes. The Jays had men on first and third with two out in the sixth but Peavey struck out Bautista and Encarnacion to snuff out Torontos first threat of the night. Boston manager John Farrell called it a key moment. "Jake gets two big strikeouts to end their threat, to keep the momentum on our side." The hard-throwing Wagner, who complicated matters with two walks and one hit batsman in 1 1/3 innings, was followed by Todd Redmond. The Jays sent Wagner to Triple-A Buffalo after the game, calling up pitcher Chad Jenkins. Bradley, who had three extra base hits on the night, made it 8-1 with a two-out RBI double off Redmond in the ninth. Chris Capuano pitched the eighth for Boston, striking out the side. Andrew Miller worked the ninth, giving up a single while striking out two. ' ' '
