Note: Parnell may go back to Bullpen
Yesterday, Jerry Manuel suggested to reporters that Bobby Parnell could be bumped from the starting rotation, and returned to the bullpen, after the next turn through the rotation.
Parnell will start tonight against the Braves.
In seven starts, Parnell is 1-5 with a 7.91 ERA.
He is 2–3 with a 3.75 ERA in 45 innings as a relief pitcher, during which he struck out 38 batters.
“The pitch count, the high volume of pitches concerns me,” Manuel told reporters. “That tells me there are some command issues that need to be addressed.”
…it was a good experiment… i’m sure he’ll pitch in Winter Ball, and he’ll probably be used as a starter… plus, he can work as a starting pitcher in the spring as well… all this, plus his eight starts from this season, should give the Mets a decent idea of what he can and cannot do for next season… in the end, it’s obvious he is more than capable of pitching from the bullpen… i worry, though, that he’s the second-coming of Aaron Heilman, i.e., enough of a history as a starter to be tempting, but some success as a reliever, and too limited of a repertoire for consistent success…
…in the end, i need to remember he’s a young 25 years old, and has pitched in just 67 games in his short career, so he’s still figuring it out, and the Mets are clearly using this opportunity to figure him out as well…
For more from Manuel, regarding Parnell’s future, check out Brian Costa’s report for the Star-Ledger, as well as Anthony Di Como on MLB.com.
