NL Central: 4th
It was the same old story for the Reds in 2004, as poor pitching and injuries to two of their star players meant it was another forgettable season.
What went well?:
Sean Casey doesn't get a lot of attention, as other first basemen hit for more power, but he had another great season for the Reds. Casey (.324, 24 HRs, 99 RBIs) did a lot of damage despite not having many other big bats to help him out in the line-up. Casey had 571 at-bats, and struck out just 36 times all year. Add to that excellent defense, and you've got a very good player - and he's widely recognised as one of the nicest guys in the game.
Adam Dunn had always had big power potential, and proved it this year. Dunn struggled with his average, doing well to end at .266, but belted 46 HR with 102 RBIs. Dunn struck out an incredible 195 times, and walked 108 times, almost making him a new version of Jim Thome!
Wily Mo Pena (.259, 26 HR, 66 RBIs) made the most of his playing time, and is certainly one for the future, although he'll need to reduce his strikeuts (108 in 336 at-bats).
Veteran shortstop Barry Larkin put up decent numbers in limited playing time (.289, 8 HRS, 44 RBIs in 111 games), but after 19 years as a Red, the team told he he won't be returning next year.
Paul Wilson (11-6, 4.36 ERA) had a surprisingly good year, Aaron Harang (10-9, 4.86 ERA) pitched fairly well and Danny Graves (1-6, 3.95 ERA, 41 saves) looked much more at home out of the rotation and back in the closer's role.
What didn't go well?:
More injuries really ended the faint chance the Reds had of making the playoffs. Ken Griffey Jr (.253, 20 HR, 60 RBIs) looked like he was returning to his old form, before yet another injury ended his season. Austin Kearns (.230, 9 HR, 32 RBIs) was also hurt, and appeared in just 64 games.
The rest of the pitching was very poor. The fact that the Reds used 12 different starting pitchers says a lot, as does the fact that Jose Acevedo (5-12, 5.94 ERA) stayed in the rotation as long as he did, because there wasn't anyone any better.
The Reds front office didn't exactly cover themselves in glory after the season either. Telling Larkin, one of the franchise's best players, that he was no longer required by phone was not the classiest way to do things. It's not as though Larkin was demanding big money or rehular playing time - he would have been happy to return as a semi-regular to help mentor the younger Reds.
What about next year?:
Likely more of the same, unless the Reds are prepared to spend big money on improving the starting pitching, which is very unlikely. Until the Reds can develop some decent minor league starters, they'll probably sign cheap veteran pitchers and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. They also need to stay clear of injuries to stand a chance of competing in a tough division, but if past seasons are anything to go by, that won't be easy.