I talk about it like "doing drugs." I’m not real hip to the lingo. I think real drugs-doing people say things like "slamming speedballs"..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Farmers onlyFeaturesPlayoffsHistory/Hall of FameA fanblog's completely unreasonable seriesIn which this nerdjerk fanblog gets unreasonably ahead of itselfNew Paul Konerko Jersey ,59commentsByCharlie Scrabbles@ChuckScrabblesAug 23, 2018, 11:45am EDTShareTweetShareShareIn which this nerdjerk fanblog gets unreasonably ahead of itselfKen Blaze-USA TODAY SportsI’ve never really done drugs. You can probably tell because I talk about it like “doing drugs.” I’m not real hip to the lingo. I think real drugs-doing people say things like “slamming speedballs” and “cranking rails” and “blazing joint bongs” and “roofing the terrace.” They have a whole euphemistic vernacular for it. I know that much because of movies and tv. I’ve tried marijuana a handful of times, but that about does it. I’ve always been more of a romantic Tom Waitsian drunk than anything else. I suppose as far as unstable depressives go, I’ve been considerably lucky that booze can still drown my demons, even just temporarily. The less fortunate can be read about or seen on television news. Nevermind which newspaper or television news program. Just pick one at random. Anyway, so I don’t really know from drugs. At least, not more than what tv has told me. So that is all prologue to this Reds-related metaphor: Back in the day man, we used to get this real clean high-quality shit. Back in like June and July was pure uncut straight Colombian, man. Some of that Juan Valdez shit. But nowadays it’s like we are slamming shit that’s like 80% baking soda. But hell if I’m gonna give it up. I’m an addict, man. I need this Reds stuff and I’ll take whatever fix I can get.Hell, I could write for The Wire with that kind of authentic street drug lingo. So yeah, watching the Reds right now. They aren’t at their best. There is an alternate timeline out there on which we are watching guys like Jesse Winker, Nick Senzel http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-konerko-jersey , Joey Votto, and Scott Schebler bangin’ around and givin’ ‘em the business. I guess we can console ourselves with the hope that Schebler and Votto will return soon enough, but dang. The Reds currently rank in the top three in the National League in batting average and on-base percentage but they honest-to-God have so much more in them. So, so much more.Let’s look ahead to next season for a bit, when (hopefully) they’ll have a full roster of healthy players. Given a 12-man pitching staff, they have all of these guys rarin’ to go:Joey VottoScooter GennettJose PerazaEugenio SuarezJesse WinkerBilly HamiltonScott ScheblerPhil ErvinNick SenzelDilson HerreraAlex BlandinoTucker BarnhartCurt CasaliThere is a ton of bat there, folks. And enough defensive versatility that, while they won’t be an elite run-prevention unit, they won’t panic the pitching staff, either. Let’s make out a lineup even Jim Riggleman can’t break!LF Jesse WinkerSS Jose Peraza1B Joey Votto3B Eugenio Suarez2B Scooter GennettRF Scott ScheblerC Tucker BarnhartPitcherCF Billy HamiltonAlso, that bench is thicc af. A smart manager can get 400 to 500 PAs for just about everyone here. Ervin and Schebler can cover CF in friendly ballparks while Senzel, Blandino, and Herrera can make sure everyone in the infield gets a day off every week or so. The possibilities are endless if the Reds hire a manager smart enough to understand that. I’m looking at the team the Reds have built and I’m feeling really good and high about it. Like, totally high. Like Nellie Fox Jersey , I have Lionel Richie’s Dancing on the Ceiling running on a continuous loop in my head I’m so high. Like, actual drugs high, you guys. You don’t even know. Milwaukee is one of a dozen teams interested in the oft-injured former All-Star who is available for the league minimum"Troy Tulowitzki represents a unique and unexpected opportunity for a number of contenders this winter.The former All-Star was released by the Toronto Blue Jays during the Winter Meetings, a surprising move despite the fact that Tulowitzki has not played since the middle of 2017 and was still owed $38 million over the next three years, including $20 million in the upcoming season.After missing the entire 2018 season due to injuries to and surgery on both heels, Tulo is reportedly ready to play again. Still, Toronto was apparently ready to move on after getting just 238 games of .250/.313/.414 production over 3.5 years.With the Jays on the hook for the rest of that money minus whatever he gets on his new contract, the opportunity is there for a contender — and at 34, Tulowitzki likely won’t sign with anyone who isn’t competing for a World Series title — to sign him for the league minimum in hopes that he can stay healthy enough to be a good depth piece or veteran bench bat.According to multiple reports, the Brewers were one of those teams that have showed interest in the man Ryan Braun beat out for the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year award.Jeff Passan listed the Brewers as one of a dozen teams that were at Tulowitzki’s workout on Tuesday, a mix of high-profile perennial contenders like the Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs, and rebuilding clubs like the Padres and Tigers who would likely hope to flip him at the trade deadline. Robert Murray of The Athletic reports the Brewers sent a three-person contingent to Long Beach to check him out. There’s been doubt — including publicly from Toronto’s front office — that Tulo’s body can still handle playing shortstop, but Murray’s sources came away from the session impressed:The Brewers’ interest in Tulowitzki would likely be as a stopgap at second base while they buy time for Keston Hiura to master Triple-A pitching (or Harold Baines Jersey , cynically, clear the Super Two deadline). It’s a position he’s never played as a professional, but is apparently open to considering if it means landing with a contender and helping that team win.If — and let’s be clear, it is a big if — Tulowitzki were able to stay healthy enough to provide anything close to his old self, it’d be a steal at the league minimum, especially for a team like the Brewers that may not be interested in giving up the years or annual salary needed to land some of the other second base options on the free agent market. Even Tulowitzki’s production in his last full season — .254/.318/.443 in 131 games in 2016, including 24 home runs and 21 doubles — would be a bargain at that price.Tulo is also unlikely to sign for anything other than one year as he looks to gain another multi-year deal after proving he can stay on the field. It’s those factors that make him an interesting option for the Brewers, who would prefer not to get tied down to a multi-year deal for someone who would be unlikely to help outside of second base after this year.Even if he doesn’t get hurt, Tulowitzki is no guarantee to produce with the bat after a year and a half away from the field. But in that case, by the time the Brewers have a large enough sample to make an educated guess on what he has left, Hiura could be ready to take over and the Brewers could cut their losses while only being out the league minimum.Considering it’s national signing day in college football, it’s probably fitting that landing Tulowitzki may come down to a classic recruiting pitch, considering every team will likely be offering the same thing in terms of a contract — it’s simply up to David Stearns and the Brewers to make the best sales pitch.Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference