Reds want Baker, coaches back next season despite early exit

Cincinnati, OH, United States (4E Sports) – Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty expects manager Dusty Baker and his coaches to return next season despite the team’s bitter loss to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series.

“It was a very good season,” Jocketty said. “Great regular season. A good quick start to the postseason. We just weren’t able to close it out. It gives us more to build on. This team is talented enough and young enough to be in the hunt for a number of years.”

“We’re going to sit down (today) and talk about some things, kind of wrap up this year and talk about next year,” he added.

Jocketty’s first order of business is to re-sign Baker, whose contract will expire at the end of the year.

Baker is still undecided about his future with the Reds as he still yet to absorb the team’s loss to the Giants after grabbing a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

“I don’t know, man. Right now, I’m kind of numb in this situation,” Baker said. “I’m not sure where my career is going here in Cincinnati.”

“We’re going to talk about that in the next couple of days. But I’m not through managing. I have more to do,” he added.

Many Reds player are hoping that Baker will be back next season.

“He’s the only manager that I know,” right fielder Jay Bruce said. “He’s who I’m comfortable with. He’s been great to the team, to me, to everyone. In my opinion, I would love to have him back. The feeling is mutual, I think. I’m sure he wants to come back.”

Nearly all the core players are under contract, except for Ryan Ludwick and Scott Rolen. The Reds have a mutual option at $5 million while Rolen will have to decide first whether to come back next year or call it a career.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Ludwick said. “I’m going to go home and spend some time with my 3-year-old. I told him we would wrestle no matter what happened today.”

“I don’t know,” Rolen said. “I’m going to go home and be a dad, move forward a little bit and see what happens.”

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