Dylan Cease keeps finding ways to make himself one of the most fascinating figures around the Blue Jays.
The Toronto right-hander has built a reputation this season not just for what he does on the mound, but for what he does away from it. His painting hobby has become part of the story, and Jays fans have been following along all year as Cease has turned out Toronto-specific artwork.
One of those pieces brought in real money, too: a painting was auctioned for $16,000 in support of Jays Care.
Cease’s latest stop off the field came at Above Ground Art Supplies in Toronto, where he was recently spotted signing autographs and posing for pictures with employees. The store said in its post that he’s a frequent customer. According to that same post, Cease has created at least four Toronto-themed pieces, with three of them appearing on Instagram and another hanging in John Schneider’s office.
He also shared another recent piece of art, offering a subtle tease for fans who bet on sports.
The art side is one thing, but Cease has paired it with elite production on the mound. The 30-year-old ranks second in the MLB with 191 strikeouts this season. He’s fourth among pitchers with a 2.40 ERA, and opponents have hit just .182 against him, the best mark in that category.
For a Blue Jays season that hasn’t gone right in a lot of places, Cease has given Toronto exactly what it hoped for when it made the move.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Suddenly Have A Catching Depth Issue They Cant Ignore
The Blue Jays quietly thinned out their catching inventory when they designated Willie MacIver for assignment, ending his run in the organization after a stretch with Triple-A Buffalo. MacIver had given them solid offense with the Bisons, which made him a useful depth piece even if he was never part of the everyday plan in Toronto.
Seattle moved quickly, claiming MacIver off waivers and sending him to Triple-A Tacoma, leaving Toronto with a little less breathing room behind the plate at both the major league and Triple-A levels. Depth charts can change fast this time of year, but losing a catcher who was already in the system is the kind of move that can ripple if the next injury or short-term need shows up sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Face A Tough Yankees Series With Pitching Questions Growing
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Toronto made one roster move to help stabilize things, activating Paul Sewald for tonights game as Lazaro Estrada was optioned out. With the club navigating the new roster rules, that kind of shuffle carries more than the usual short-term ripple effect, especially if Toronto needs to keep rotating arms through a stretch like this. Anthony Santander is also still working back, hitting off a tee for now, which leaves the lineup and pitching staff both with open questions as the series begins. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays May Finally Be Seeing The Brandon Barriera They Drafted
Brandon Barriera finally looked like a pitcher the Blue Jays could dream on again, even if the road back has been anything but clean. The 22-year-old left-hander, once one of Torontos more intriguing pitching prospects, has spent much of the last few seasons fighting to stay on the mound, with injuries repeatedly slowing the kind of climb the organization hoped for when it drafted him.
The latest step came at Single-A Dunedin, where Barriera was back after a two-month absence and worked four no-hit innings with six strikeouts. There is still a long way to go for a pitcher whose minor league career has been interrupted by Tommy John surgery and other setbacks, but performances like this at least give the Blue Jays something they have not had enough of with him so far: a reason to believe the talent is still in there. [Read more 🡒]