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When the Toronto Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210-million deal this offseason, the 30-year-old had one small request before putting pen to paper. According to MLB.com reporter Keegan Matheson, Cease wanted to give manager John Schneider a painting to hang in his Rogers Centre office. Now hanging in John Schneider’s office is a painting by up-and-coming Toronto artist… Dylan Cease. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/bgMpH1sfLJ — Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 1, 2026 Matheson said the painting was "impossible to look away from" when he entered Schneider’s office for an interview following a 14-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. The painting itself is a surrealist abstract featuring flowers, faces, Cease’s signature and the word "Toronto" written more than a dozen times. As the saying goes, a picture is worth 1,000 words, and this one certainly says a lot. When asked about it, Schneider told Matheson he had an agreement with Cease to receive a painting for his office when the pitcher signed with the team in December. Schneider made a deal with the right-hander when Cease signed with the team. (Kevin Sousa/Imagn Images) The date on the painting appears to read Feb. 10, 2026, which was just days before Cease reported to spring training for pitchers and catchers. Unlike the Mona Lisa or Starry Night, Cease has given Schneider permission to allow Blue Jays media to photograph the piece. Schneider added that Cease hopes sharing it will "enhance his art career," if this whole baseball thing doesn’t work out. Cease has already made a huge impact on the Blue Jays' rotation, recording 12 strikeouts in five and a third innings against the Athletics in his Rogers Centre debut. It was the most strikeouts ever by a Toronto pitcher in their first appearance with the club. He is scheduled to make his next start on Friday against his former team, the Chicago White Sox, where he spent four seasons from 2019 to 2023. The Blue Jays will be looking to bounce back after dropping two of three at home to Colorado.
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