The Reds have extended the contract of general manager Walt Jocketty by three years, keeping him at the helm of baseball operations through the 2014 season.
"We've made a lot of progress in this organization," he said. "But we have a long way to go. It was good to sit down with (owner) Mr. (Bob) Castellini and work this out. We want to grow this organization to point where we're perennial contenders."
Jocketty's contract was up after this season, leading to speculation about other jobs.
"It's always flattering," Jocketty said of the speculation. "I came here for a reason with my relation with Mr. Castellini and the Williams family. I came with a goal to build this organization into a winner. We're not quite there yet. There's still a lot of business to take care of."
Jocketty said Castellini shares his vision.
"Absolutely," Jocketty said. "He wants to win. He sees the progress we've made and felt good about it. He wants to keep the continuity."
Manager Dusty Baker and his entire coaching staff will return for 2012. All are under contract.
"It's great for the city," Baker said. "It's great for Walt. It's great for the organization. He's a quality man. I've known him a long time. He's the same."
--LHP Dontrelle Willis will return to the rotation Sunday. Willis missed his last start because of back spasms. Willis (0-6) is seeking his first win as a Red.
--INF Miguel Cairo had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Friday. It was termed a "clean-out" procedure. He is expected to be fully recovered by spring training.
--RHP Edinson Volquez started Friday night and went five innings. He allowed three runs on six hits. Pitch efficiency continues to be an issue. He needed 98 pitches to get through five.
--LHP Aroldis Chapman has one of his more impressive outings on Friday. He retired all six batters he faced -- two by strikeout -- and threw only 22 pitches.
--LHP Bill Bray took his second loss in four appearances. Bray was 5-1 before the two losses.
BY THE NUMBERS: .500 -- That's the best the Reds can finish after losing their 81st game Friday.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "These one-run losses are hard to take. ... We had plenty of opportunities with the right guys up there. We just didn't get the hit when we needed it. That's a lot of men left on base." -- Reds manager Dusty Baker
Source: