For the eighth consecutive year, the Reds finished with a losing record. They missed the playoffs again, leaving them absent from the postseason since 1995.
The club came out spring training camp with optimism because the starting pitching looked so solid. But the top two, Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, started slowly. Harang (6-17) never did recover, and Arroyo (15-11) bounced back in August and September when the team was out of the race. All-Star Edinson Volquez (17-6) and rookie Johnny Cueto (9-14) were pleasant surprises, and if Harang and Arroyo pitch to their level all season in 2009, the starting pitching is in good hands.
The Reds need a fifth starter, but the team goes eight or nine deep in candidates.
The bullpen, full of free agents, needs re-working in front of closer Francisco Cordero, who had a below-average year with only 34 saves in 40 opportunities. Cordero went 5-4 with a 3.33 ERA. Right-hander Jared Burton and lefty Bill Bray are young and still learning, but both have solid stuff.
Catching remains a problem, unless rookie Ryan Hanigan can step forth after being named the top catcher in the International League. Paul Bako hovered around the .200 level all season, and David Ross was released in August.
Two rookies figure to be the building blocks of this team, both power-hitting left-handers -- first baseman Joey Votto (24 homers) and right fielder Jay Bruce (21 homers). Votto was more consistent, hitting .297 with 84 RBIs. Bruce hit .254 with 52 RBIs, but he is only 21 and wasn't called up from Class AAA Louisville until May. He hit seven homers in August and seven in September.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips and third baseman Edwin Encarnacion provide right-handed power, but both had off seasons. The club could use some right-handed pop, perhaps in left field, particularly after the trade that sent Adam Dunn to Arizona.
Shortstop remains a question. Alex Gonzalez is one of the best, but injuries and family problems limited his playing time in 2007, and he missed the entire 2008 season due to knee surgery. The club needs him to come back strong.
