New owners change SkyDome name; Jays' payroll to increase

TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays will have a higher payroll, a new ballpark name and a new artificial playing surface that's more like grass.

Team owner Rogers Communications renamed SkyDome the Rogers Centre on Wednesday, two days after the company completed the acquisition of the ballpark.

Rogers said it will now allocate $210 million for payroll over the next three years. The team's payroll currently is about $50 million. While general manager J.P. Ricciardi will add to it this season, most of the money will be spent the following two years.

"We have the resources now to do some things that we'd like to do," Ricciardi said.

Ricciardi said they're not interested in any remaining free agents, but could add players through trades. Rogers said they couldn't allocate the money in the fall when more free agents were available because the sale of SkyDome hadn't closed.

The team started work on replacing the JumboTron with a new videoboard a month ago. Two smaller versions will be built into the outfield fence in the gaps in left-center and right center. They will be covered with a plastic shield. In addition, FieldTurf will be installed.

Rogers is investing in the team just months after the Montreal Expos left Canada to become the Washington Nationals.

"We're the only team in Canada. Let's not have it fail," said Ted Rogers, the president of Rogers Communications.