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Blue Jays to Buffalo, Bisons to Trenton

buffalo bisonsWith it looking unlikely that the Toronto Blue Jays will return to Rogers Centre in the near future, the Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A East) will play out of Trenton temporarily, with the Blue Jays at Sahlen Field.

The former Arm & Hammer Park, currently lacking a naming-rights partner, was home to the Double-A Eastern League Trenton Thunder, whose MiLB affiliation ended when MLB contracted to 120 teams and longtime parent New York Yankees decision to strike a new affiliation with the Somerset Patriots. The new Thunder team was scheduled to participate in the six-team summer-collegiate MLB Draft League; that participation is expected to continue.

Still to be announced as of this writing: the Blue Jays announcing a schedule for moving games to Sahlen Field, where the team played in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The Blue Jays had previously announced they would begin 2021 play at Dunedin’s TD Ballpark, their spring-training home, through the first three homestands of 2021, ending in May. But that schedule may be altered with the Bisons beginning the season in Trenton, and some of the timing may have to do with the completions of upgrades to Sahlen Field to better accommodate the Jays. Those upgrades include:

  • Moving the bullpens off the field and behind the outfield walls
  • New batting cages built beyond right field
  • New weight room and renovated clubhouse facilities
  • LED light bulb replacements plus two additional temporary lighting poles

“After a nearly decade-long partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays, these Sahlen Field upgrades are a natural progression of our successful partnership. Sahlen Field is one of the oldest ballparks in all of Triple-A so these upgrades are essential for the long-term success of having high-quality baseball in Buffalo, NY for many years to come,” said Mike Buczkowski, President, Rich Baseball Operations. “We thank the Trenton Thunder organization for opening their doors and welcoming the Bisons so this renovation can be completed.”

The Bisons are set to begin the 2021 season on May 4 with a game against the visiting Worcester Red Sox.

RELATED STORIES: Blue Jays extend Dunedin residency through May; Canadian pro teams prep for border challengesBlue Jays may displace Bisons in BuffaloBlue Jays to begin 2021 MLB season in Dunedin’s TD Ballpark

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