Things you all like more than merely suggesting that Christian Encarnacion-Strand is an amazing trade chip

Yesterday I lobbed out a simple concept that Christian Encarnacion-Strand, the slugging prospect of the Cincinnati Reds whose defensive positions overlap him with the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Spencer Steer, would potentially be the team’s biggest trade chip if they wanted to make a big splash in the pitching market this summer.

I did! You hated it.

I don’t blame you. For many of the reasons I never once suggested that it was a good idea, I don’t blame you. It was me merely trying to point out that a) the Reds have made it pretty clear they aren’t going to go splash tons of cash in free agency to sign players, b) they’ve made a habit of acquiring top tier pitchers via trades, c) they might be one good pitcher away from making this season more interesting than it otherwise would be, and d) CES’s prospect stock is a lot, lot higher now than it was when he was acquired last year.

I was just pointing out that moving him would be a big deal, the kind of big deal that would mean a big piece was coming back to the Reds.

Anyway, today is Friday, and on Friday we list here at Red Reporter. Here is an incomplete list of things you like more than me merely suggesting that Christian Encarnacion-Strand would be the Reds biggest trade chip this summer should they choose to aggressively upgrade the pitching portion of their roster:

• chugging Castor Oil
• stepping on LEGOs barefoot
• pumping gas in the rain
• paying for gas at all these days
• when people say ‘brussel sprouts’ instead of ‘Brussels sprouts’
• ‘tHom Brennaman
• when you really like a shirt but a medium is too small and a large is too big
• slow WiFi
• when you answer the knock at the door thinking your new pair of shoes has been delivered but instead it’s the same guy who’s been trying to talk you into 5-gallon water jug delivery for the last three months
• reading the life story of a food blogger for 77 consecutive minutes before finally getting to the part where they list the recipe
• autoplay ads
• Anthony Rizzo
• Anthony Rizzo literally standing on home plate and getting hit in the elbow on a borderline strike on a 2-strike count
• Anthony Rizzo
• mosquitos
• the middle hump suck seat on road trips
• hangnails
• acquiring former St. Louis Cardinals

Happy Friday, folks. Enjoy your weekend, and enjoy knowing that CES is still very, very much part of the Cincinnati Reds system.

(For now...)