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.
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I think it’s a good move. Maybe he pitches well in relief and regains some of his value. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he’s part of a package for a LF or SP in the off season
I wouldn’t be worried that he could be Aaron Heilman……well, I would be if that means he was a highly touted prospect that turned out to be OK in the bullpen and not worth starting. Parnell has had success as a starter when he faced fairly weak teams…..and what was that exactly….2 games?
Heilman left the Mets and still isn’t being allowed to start…..additionally he is pitching to an over 4 ERA, almost a 1.50 WHIP, and for every 2 K’s he walks 1…..Not missing much here.
Parnell has his youth going for him……see how he does in Winter Ball as a starter….if he does well, let him compete for a spot in the spring………if he fails, try to make a reliever out of him, but he can not and must not be counted on as a setup guy next year.
Can we stop with the Heilman comparisons? Heilman is AWFUL. Awful as a starter, worse as a reliever. He is a bust…let it go. This idea that the Mets “messed up” Heilman by keeping him in the pen and may do it again with Parnell is ludicrous.
Fact is Parnell pitched well as a reliever and he has been terrible as a starter. Why keep cramming a square peg in a round hole? It was great that they gave it a shot – but now they should know Parnell is either a reliever in NY or a starter in Buffalo come 2010.
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