Mets Should Consider Trading Bobby Parnell
Bobby Parnell picked up a save on Thursday, his 20th of the season in 24 attempts. His ERA is 2.30 and his strikeout to walk ratio is outstanding — 41 ks to 10 bases on balls. He is having a very good season, yet the Mets should still consider trading him.
I’m not saying the Mets should go out and actively shop the 28-year-old Parnell who has two years left of arbitration before hitting free agency. But if Bobby Parnell can be part of a package that brings back a much-needed power hitting outfielder, then the Mets should definitely make the move.
A closer is easy to replace; think about how many closers are available through free agency every winter. Compare that to the number of power hitting outfielders on the market and you come to the realization that you should trade a reliever for a regular every day of the week.
The other factor is that I am not sold on Bobby Parnell as the closer for the long term. He is indeed having a fine year, but he has struggled in the past; there is no guarantee that he will not regress at some point.
The Mets have far too many holes on their team to hold onto a closer who could bring back more important pieces. They also do not have many other trade chips, so they will have to part with someone to make the team better. Bobby Parnell could be a good place to start.
The Mets are in a win-win situation with Parnell. They don’t have to trade him unless they get an offer they can’t refuse. They hold all of the leverage against a desperate team trying to make a playoff push, similar to the Beltran situation in 2011. For all the talk about how a Beltran-for-Wheeler deal wouldn’t happen in 2013, the reason it did happen was more than one team was interested in trading for Beltran (I recall Domonic Brown’s name being dropped as a potential piece the Phillies were offering at the time.) As he did with Beltran and with R.A. Dickey, Sandy Alderson seems very capable of pitting multiple teams against each other to extract the best deal. Considering the Mets don’t have to trade Parnell, Sandy has even more leverage than he had with Beltran or Dickey.
Good post Mr. Corleone! I agree totally. And remember, never tell anyone outside the family what you’re thinking!
Don’t forget JJ, I’m “Anakin” Corleone. Not only do I not tell anyone outside the family what I’m thinking but for those that doubt me, I find their lack of faith disturbing. đŸ™‚
Hopefully Mr. Alderson will be making a few “offers that can’t be refused” this offseason!