Marcus Stroman shows his passion for Toronto with a massive tattoo

You may have thought Marcus Stroman was just paying lip service when he attempted to squash trade rumours by calling Toronto his home away from home, but his latest trip to the tattoo parlour suggests otherwise.

The Medford, New York, native may have struggled in 2018, but that didn’t stop the rumour mill from churning as the Blue Jays wrapped up another failed season. Seeing that Toronto isn’t expected to be a contender any time soon, Stroman appeared to be a candidate to be shipped out of town for a package that could hasten the rebuild north of the border.

The Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves, among other teams, have been linked to trade rumours involving Stroman, but the former Blue Devil never wavered from his desire to remain with the only professional baseball team he’s ever known.

With spring training a little more than a month away, the 2017 World Baseball Classic MVP doubled down on his passion for the city, making a statement with some fresh ink on his belly.

Stroman enlisted tattoo artist Levi Reimer — who is based out of Abbotsford, B.C. — for his latest piece, a beautiful recreation of Toronto’s skyline that took four days to complete. Reimer has done work for notable professional athletes including Stroman and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Chris Archer.

While Stroman’s latest tattoo is just one of many, it’s certainly his most interesting piece for Blue Jays fans. Players often attempt to squash rumours and avoid stirring the pot by praising their team’s city and its fans, but a rather-large Toronto tattoo on your abdomen? That’s next level loyalty.

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