The Reds finished the 2009 season on Sunday. Here's a look at some of the final numbers

STANDINGS
St. Louis 91 71 .562
Chi. Cubs 83 78 .516 7½
Milwaukee 80 82 .494 11
Cincinnati 78 84 .481 13
Houston 74 88 .457 17
Pittsburgh 62 99 .385

TEAM LEADERS
Hitting
HR - Joey Votto (25)
RBI - Brandon Phillips (98)
AVG - Joey Votto (.322)
SB - B. Phillips/W. Taveras (25)
R - Joey Votto (82)

Pitching
W - Bronson Arroyo (15)
ERA - Francisco Cordero (2.16)
K - Aaron Harang (142)
IP - Bronson Arroyo (220.1)
SV - Francisco Cordero (39)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Buster Olney, ESPN
Biggest puzzler on the drawing board: Simply put, how do they get better given their budget dynamics? The Reds opened the 2009 season with a payroll of $73 million, and presumably Bob Castellini is not going to go all Steinbrenner and pump in another $20-25 million. The Reds already have enormous obligations to four veterans: Francisco Cordero ($12 million), Aaron Harang ($12.5 million), Bronson Arroyo ($11 million), and Scott Rolen ($11 million). That's $46.5 million to players who are not presently high-impact types, which leaves little wiggle room for the Reds as far as next year's budge. Their best chance for improvement might be in the powerful right arm of Homer Bailey, who had a tremendous year of progress in '09, getting better and better; he went 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA in the month of September. Maybe he could be what Volquez was supposed to be. "I think they might be as far away from seriously contending as the Pirates, or maybe even farther," said one scout who watched Cincinnati as it closed out its season.

Jay Jaffe, Baseball Prospectus
With Votto, Phillips, Bruce, Stubbs, Cueto, Bailey, and a rehabbed Volquez, the Reds can still claim a promising young nucleus. Alas, Baker's work this year shows that he may be the biggest obstacle to the team's success, and with one more year on his deal, he's not going anywhere. Trading either Arroyo or Harang is certainly an option; the two players have about $28 million remaining on their deals via 2010 contracts and 2011 buyouts, so moving one of them might create an opportunity for a midlevel signing. Still, it's difficult to envision this team breaking out of the middle of the pack without keen vision and bold steps.

MLB cincinnati reds, 2009