How many years do we have to keep seeing the Mets not get that Bobby Parnell is not a Closer? His fastball is too straight and he doesn't have a quality second or third pitch to offset the fastball. He is a decent bullpen pitcher but not closing material.

Now that Francisco is out, the Mets should check about that #11 pick and decide if they need to add some more pitching talent. When your weaknesses are unavailable in the market, beef up your strenths and then trade excess to another team to acquire solutions for the team's weak spots.

Velvarde would be a nice addition to the bullpen right now and Kyle Lohse would be a nice #2 starter and give the pitching staff some excellent depth. Probably enough that we could package Dillion Gee in a trade for an okay outfielder during Spring Training.

"When your weaknesses are unavailable in the market, beef up your strenths and then trade excess to another team to acquire solutions for the team's weak spots. "

This team doesn't really have any strengths though. I'm guessing you're saying our strength is starting pitching but alot of it is unproven or returning from injury ... either way I think it's only a strength relative to the rest of the team. On the open market other than Wheeler and Harvey we don't actually have that much starting pitcher potential ... that might not be fair to Niese.

Other than Harvey, Wheeler, and I am including Niese, we have even more potential in the minors in Syndergaard, Fulmer and possibly Mejia.

I don't think anyone will be willing to trade an MLB ready closer for three unknowns - not by name perhaps but can they even perform at the MLB level? Will they ever MLB quality pitchers?

So why would anyone trade an MLB closer for three possible starters?

Kyle Lohse a number two starter? I think you're getting too excited about his last two seasons. The guy's just a few games above .500 for his career with an ERA is 4.45. Secondly, I doubt Dillon Gee is going to net the Mets an okay outfielder, considering he ended up the season prematurely due to an injury. As far as Valverde is concerned. I don't know. He had fewer saves and strike outs and his ERA was 1 1/2 runs higher than it was in 2011. I share your dubious feelings about Parnell as closer. I think the seventh or eighth inning has been the best place for him.

0 days rest 62 6 17 1 0 1 7 2 0 11 0 0 .274 .297 .339 .636
1 day rest 81 6 20 2 1 2 9 4 1 17 0 0 .247 .287 .370 .658
2 days rest 52 5 15 5 0 1 6 8 0 15 0 0 .288 .383 .442 .826
3-5 days rest 58 6 10 3 0 0 5 6 0 16 1 0 .172 .246 .224 .470
6+ days rest 5 1 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 .600 .600 .600 1.200

The above numbers are from last season. Parnell was best with one day rest (.247 opposing team BA). Though, interestingly enough, he was worse with two days rest. I think he was better last season the few chances he got as closer, but I can't say I trust him enough not to feel very edgy about seeing him in the ninth inning. My hope is that Warthen won't be calling the pitches this season and with a veteran catcher like Buck to help, Parnell's pitch selection will be a little better. I remember some games he kept throwing the fastball to the same exact location and got killed.

I don't like Parnell as a closer, but all the other options are less appealing. This is a 90 loss team anyway. Give him the ball and roll the dice. What have we got to lose? If he pitches well and grows under pressure, we win. If he folds like a cheap camera, we learn once and for all we need to get someone. I'd rather see Parnell out there than Mejia, Familia, or anyone else we have. Nor am I crazy about trading for some mediocre closer, or signing another guy off the scrap heap.

"His fastball is too straight and he doesn't have a quality second or third pitch to offset the fastball. He is a decent bullpen pitcher but not closing material."

I guess you didn't see him throw the knuckle curve last year, he made a big improvement since 2011 and was fine in limited situations in the closer's role last year.

"So why would anyone trade an MLB closer for three possible starters?"

Outside of Rivera who is a closer you can trust year in and year out? I wouldn't trade Syndergaard for any closer, the position is too volatile.

I did see him throw the knuckle curve and he did improve with it. But, even still, his upside is limited as a closer. he will not be an elite closer, he has done nothing to show us he can do that and he has had plenty of opportunities. At best, he will be an average closer and I think that isn't going to happen. Valverde would be a better choice even though he had a bad year last year.

I have always like Lohse and even though I think of him as a number 2 type, I don't see him anywhere near as good as Geinke who will be the Dodgers #2.

Santana
Lohse
Niese
Harvey
Marcum

That is a very good starting five. Gee, Flores and Mejia could net us a decent OF. Perhaps a Josh Willingham type player.

Wheeler would still be on deck also.

I'm not ready to give up on Parnell as a closer, he certainly has the stuff. But being a closer is a different mindset and that is where Parnell needs to improve. He's already said that he wants to be given the chance to close, well, now he has that chance.

If he's used primarily as a closer this spring, perhaps he just might prevail. Time will tell.

"I did see him throw the knuckle curve and he did improve with it. But, even still, his upside is limited as a closer. he will not be an elite closer, he has done nothing to show us he can do that and he has had plenty of opportunities. "

Parnell had 9 true closing opportunities last year. Meaning he came in in a spot where the Mets were ahead by 3 runs or less and if he finished the inning the Mets would win.

In those 9 situations, he had a 1.04 ERA was 7 for 9 in saves and never let up a go ahead run. He let up just 2 runs in those 9 opportunities and 1 of them was unearned so he really should have been 8 for 9.

Parnell may or may not be closer material, but he has made progress in his game since 2011. I see no reason why he shouldn't be given another shot at becoming the closer.

It's not like this is considered to be a playoff team this year. It's a transitional season, and so why not see it Bobby can be the closer =, as other young players are also learning/growing too.

If he has success, then we have ourselves a young cheap guy to close out our games, and can devote more resources to other other parts of the pen/team.

If he fails, then at worst, we put him back into the 7th/8th role where he's had success, and give Lyons a shot in the role maybe.

This is my problem with Parnell.We will already be an offensively challenged ballclub,so late inning leads will be few and far between.The last thing i want is for the offense to scratch out a lead for us and then Parnell blow it in the 9th.Any other closer blowing the lead in the 9th will be less scrutinized then if Parnell blows the game.If he doesn't pan out,this could hurt him and his trade value.The NY press will crush this guy if he fails in the closer role.

Maybe they can give Turner a shot at closing.

There are always exceptions to the rule. So yes, there is a possibility that Parnell could succeed as a closer. But history is on my side of the debate. Far more pitchers that have failed have not made it as a closer than have succeeded when given a third or fourth chance. Parnell's fastball comes in straight with no movement. He has a lot of trouble putting hitters away. His command of his secondary pitches hasn't been stellar. My assertion is that we should keep him as a 7th inning reliever and go get a better option still left on the market. There are still closers looking for jobs.