By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Friday's game

Shortstop Barry Larkin says he wants to be a Red next year, in a lesser role. Do the Reds want him back?

"Absolutely," Reds general manager Jim Bowden said. "Barry Larkin is a Cincinnati Red. He can help this organization in other capacities besides playing."

But that is not to say Bowden thinks Larkin is done as a player.

"He's hurt now," Bowden said. "But he was playing extremely well defensively and offensively."

Larkin was hitting .256 with a .394 on-base percentage when he went on the disabled list Thursday.

Larkin, 39, is in the last year of a contract that pays him $9 million a year. For the Reds to afford him next year he would have to make considerably less, and Larkin says he's willing to do that.

Larkin went on the disabled list because of a strained right calf. That injury came two weeks after he missed 22 games with a strained left calf.

Larkin admitted that nagging injuries had him thinking of retirement, but he said he thinks he still can play.

But he said he accepts that Felipe Lopez is the shortstop of the future - and the future is already here.

"I'm not going to be out there playing every day," he said. "The truth be told, I didn't expect to be doing that after this year anyway."

Bowden thinks Larkin would be excellent in a quasi-utility role.

"Barry can help us win," Bowden said. "He could hit for four or five more years if he wanted to play that long."