Editing Matt Stairs (section)

===Toronto Blue Jays===
On December 7, 2006, Stairs and the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] agreed to a one-year minor-league contract with an invitation to [[spring training]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 12, 2006|title=Blue Jays finalize deals for Stairs, Smith|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/blue-jays-finalize-deals-for-stairs-smith-1.627163|access-date=January 6, 2022|website=[[CBC.ca]]}}</ref> He made the team and saw significant playing time as the fourth outfielder, replacing [[Lyle Overbay]] at first base during Overbay's time on the [[Disabled list|DL]]. The 2007 season rejuvenated Stairs' career, due to increased playing time following injuries to [[Reed Johnson]] and Overbay. Unexpectedly playing every day, he performed well above expectations, providing consistency at the plate and a valuable veteran presence in the Toronto dugout; team manager [[John Gibbons]] publicly stated, "I don't know where we'd be without him."<ref>{{cite news|last=Zwolinski|first=Mark|date=June 24, 2007|title=Stairs has another big day|work=[[Toronto Star]]|location=Toronto|url=https://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/228878|access-date=May 12, 2010}}</ref> As of September 4, Stairs had the highest [[slugging average]] on the Jays at .606 and the highest batting average at .312.

On August 8, 2007, Stairs became the first Toronto Blue Jays player to hit five consecutive [[Double (baseball)|doubles]] in five at-bats, and the first Major Leaguer to double in five straight at-bats in 14 years since [[Charles Johnson (catcher)|Charles Johnson]] accomplished the feat in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|date=August 9, 2007|title=Jays back Halladay in big way|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070808&content_id=2138199&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518174521/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070808&content_id=2138199&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|archive-date=May 18, 2011|access-date=June 19, 2012|website=[[Toronto Blue Jays]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> As of September 8, 2007, Stairs was playing well for the Blue Jays, with a team-leading .315 average on the season and a .989 OPS. He finished the season batting .289 with 21 home runs and 64 RBIs.<ref name=":1" />

On November 2, 2007, Stairs and the Blue Jays agreed on a two-year, $3.25 million contract, which included a $1.25 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary in each of the two seasons.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|date=November 2, 2007|title=Stairs, Jays agree to two-year deal|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071102&content_id=2291215&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104005857/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071102&content_id=2291215&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|archive-date=November 4, 2007|access-date=June 19, 2012|website=[[Toronto Blue Jays]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> With performance bonuses, Stairs could make as much as $3.5 million based on plate appearances.<ref name=":3" />

Though his age and increasingly poor speed earned him a reputation as a defensive liability in the outfield, he still possessed a strong throwing arm, and was considered a perfectly capable fielder at first. In 2008, Stairs initially platooned in left field with [[Shannon Stewart (baseball)|Shannon Stewart]]; however, upon the club's release of [[Frank Thomas]] on April 20 Stairs became the everyday DH for the ball club, although was later [[designated for assignment]] on August 28, 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|date=August 29, 2008|title=Jays designate Stairs for assignment|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080828&content_id=3383904&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080831214614/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080828&content_id=3383904&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor|archive-date=August 31, 2008|access-date=January 6, 2022|website=[[Toronto Blue Jays]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>