At this point the experiment with Bobby Parnell as a starter may be drawing to an end. Unlike Aaron Heilman, Parnell has been given a shot at becoming the starter he wanted to be. Parnell was able to get this chance without sulking like Heilman. Now the Mets have a decision to make, do they still see lots of potential in Parnell like they did in Pelfrey? Allowing Pelfrey to start 0-7 with a 6.10 ERA in 2007. Will the Mets be that patient with Parnell or will he be shifted back into the pen at the end of the season like 2009 never happened? At this point as a starter Parnell is 1-5 with a 7.91 ERA, if you were the Mets what would you do with Parnell? Would you Heilmanize him back to the pen forever and always or would you allow him to take his licks like the Mets did with Pelfrey?
15 comments
darknova306
9/11/2009-8:48am at 8:48 am (UTC -4)
I say we do with Parnell what this organization is incapable of doing… put him back down in AAA to work on secondary pitches and command as a starter. Why does he NEED to be on the MLB club next year? Let him mature and grow… look what a few months down there did for Niese in those couple starts up here before that awful injury happened. He needed to work out his secondary pitches, too. This is called… wait for it… ‘player development’, a term this organization doesn’t seem to understand.
prismo
9/11/2009-8:57am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. Parnell is a guy who needs to work on two things: the mental side of being a starter, and his secondary pitches. I see very little chance this happens though; he’ll probably be back next year in the bullpen.
darknova306
9/11/2009-8:59am at 8:59 am (UTC -4)
Which means he’s just getting setup for failure. I hate this team sometimes (hate because of love, if that makes sense).
trs86
9/11/2009-9:20am at 9:20 am (UTC -4)
But there is a big difference in Parnell and Niese. Parnell had 5 seasons in the minors and had 470 innings and 216 in AA and was in AA at age 23. Niese has had 4 seasons in the minors and has went up a level each year and is still only 22. Parnell never had good numbers even in the minors and Niese has had an ERA under 4.00 everywhere but St. Lucie. Parnell has never had a season under 4.00 except his first year in Brooklyn. It may be that Parnell is just not very good.
darknova306
9/11/2009-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
Very good point. I think it comes down to: Parnell has always been a thrower while Niese has been a pitcher. It will take Parnell more time to develop because he’s still learning how to actually pitch. (Hopefully that statement makes sense) In the end, I don’t really see Parnell as a serious future piece on the team. We’ll see, I guess. With Omar at the helm, we’ll probably be so desperate for arms next year the he won’t have the option to work on stuff at AAA.
trs86
9/11/2009-10:27am at 10:27 am (UTC -4)
That’s my point. I don’t see ANY amount of time in the minors that is going to make Parnell better. The guy has alomst 500 innings in the minors, that should be more than enough. Fact is maybe he is just going to be a middle reliever that will be ok but not great.
stickguy
9/11/2009-9:36am at 9:36 am (UTC -4)
not sure what to think of parnell. I knd of agree with Nova and TRS.
Hopefully he works hard in teh off season on developing or refining his secondary offerings, and on the mental aspect ofpitching. Then, comes to ST and put into the pool of rotation candidates fighting for the last spot or 2 in the rotation.
If he misses that cut, back to the pen, or AAA if he doesn’t earn the spot in the pen.
If they do send him down, pick a role and go all the way with it.
I think he might best be served by making a committment to the pen as a closer in training. He has the FB, so get him tutoring on his other pitch (refine the slider, and maybe bring back that splitter Putz was teaching hm).
ANyway, get one of those to be a plus out pitch, and he could become a brad lidge type (although that could be good or bad!)
CaseStreet
9/11/2009-9:37am at 9:37 am (UTC -4)
Parnell is a reliever and he’ll be good at it. Not everyone has to be a starter. It’s okay to let him be a reliever. The bullpen shouldn’t be seen as pitcher wasteland. It’s actually very important to have a good bullpen.
stickguy
9/11/2009-9:45am at 9:45 am (UTC -4)
for the team it is. as long as he accepts it, and embraces the role, fine. THere are even guys like myers andpapelbon that want to be in the pen and not go back to starting (of course, they also were closers, not middle relief guys).
Teach him his hammer out pitch, get him focused, and he could be the met’s ryan madson.
and if he has to go to AAA to close to learn how, so be it.
trs86
9/11/2009-9:48am at 9:48 am (UTC -4)
Why will he be good at it? Just a hunch?
CaseStreet
9/11/2009-11:26am at 11:26 am (UTC -4)
He told me so
Kingman 26
9/11/2009-10:02am at 10:02 am (UTC -4)
TRS, the Pelf comparison is a really, really good one.
It helps me still have hope for Parnell.
CaseStreet
9/11/2009-11:27am at 11:27 am (UTC -4)
He’s Joe smith
trs86
9/11/2009-11:31am at 11:31 am (UTC -4)
Nah, not much there. Smith was always going to be just a middle reliever.
metsfan4decades
9/11/2009-11:59am at 11:59 am (UTC -4)
I haven’t made my mind up yet about Parnell but it’s not looking good. I don’t know if it’s he doesn’t have the arsenal for a SP or his pitch selection just isn’t that great yet.
I did watch that whole game (wonder if I’m one of the few left who does) and man, that was just awful all the way around. Pagan just does not get it. He might be hitting like .325 for these past two months but he’s got no instincts on the base paths or in the field. And if he doesn’t get it by now, don’t know that he ever will….