"Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said the Reds will in all likelihood increase their payroll for the 2012 season.

"Our preliminary projections are that we'll bump it up a little," Jocketty said. "We're still working on the end number. But it will be more than it was this year."

The Reds' payroll for this season was $80.8 million, up from $76.1 million the year before. A similar bump would put the Reds in the $85 million range.

Does that mean the Reds will venture in the free agent market in a big way?

"Probably not," Jocketty said.

That's because we're dealing with baseball economics.

The contracts of Ramon Hernandez ($3 million) and Edgar Renteria ($2.1 million) expire."