Bobby Parnell

Parnell’s first season as a full-time closer went quite well while he was on the field. He saved 22 of the 26 opportunities he was given and posted excellent ratios including a 2.16 ERA despite stranding just 69 percent of his runners. The number of chances was limited because he lost the final two months to a herniated disc in his neck. That was all in 2013. His 2014 season never got off the ground. He was blasted in the March 31st season opener and never pitched again, succumbing to Tommy John surgery on April 8th. The good news is that the Mets were able to cultivate a bullpen in his absence. Of course, that is also the bad news because the closer role won’t necessarily just be there waiting for him when he returns, especially since he is unlikely be ready by Opening Day. He has a sub-3.00 ERA in three of his last four full seasons, but the WHIP has been suspect every year except 2013 and he doesn’t have an elite strikeout rate, so he needs that ninth-inning role to maintain fantasy appeal.

Parnell was anointed as the team's closer in spring training by manager Terry Collins and he proved that he was worthy of the role. He had a strong overall season, which was capped off by a stretch where he gave up just one earned run in 13 July appearances, Unfortunately, his last appearance of the year came in a save on July 29, after which he was shut down due to a herniated disc in his neck that required surgery in early September. For the year, Parnell posted a sterling 2.16 ERA and 1.00 WHIP to go with 22 saves in 26 chances, despite posting modest strikeout totals (7.9 K/9) for a closer. The hope is that Parnell will be ready to go by spring training, as the recovery period was expected to be five months, and if he is healthy, he will open 2014 as the team's closer.

Of the Mets' current stable of relievers, Parnell is probably the best suited to handle the ninth inning, but Frank Francisco is expected to get another spin thanks in large part to his $6.5 million salary. With impressive numbers in each of the last three seasons (xFIP: 2.54, 3.46, 3.15), Parnell has also stabilized his control (2.6 BB/9) after bouts of wildness in 2011 (4.1 BB/9). Further, he's become a groundball machine, topping out with a 61.5 percent groundball rate last season and making it very difficult for opposing hitters to beat him with the long ball. Considering Francisco's recent track record, Parnell should be targeted in most leagues as one of the better bets to ascend into a closer role in 2013.

Following the trade of Francisco Rodriguez to Milwaukee, Parnell had a chance to take the job as closer and run with it, but he spit the bit. Parnell went on to blow six of his 12 save opportunities, as his high-90s fastball appears to lack the movement needed to be a dominant closer and he doesn't have a true off-speed pitch. In addition, his struggles with command and control resulted in too many hitters' counts and fat pitches, leading to his .351 BABIP. The acquisition of Ramon Ramirez, Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco by the Mets in December means that Parnell will either open the year in middle relief or back at Triple-A.

Because of Parnell's high-90s fastball and inability to consistently throw his secondary pitches for strikes, the Mets decided that Parnell is better suited to a relief role. Parnell failed to make the parent club out of spring training last season, but pitched well enough at Triple-A to earn a mid-June promotion, posting a 42:17 K:BB ratio in 41.1 innings. For the most part, Parnell was dominant with the Mets, as seven of the 11 earned runs he allowed in 41 games and 35 innings came in two appearances. Parnell showed much better control with a 33:8 K:BB ratio and had a major uptick in his G/F ratio, before being shut down with 12 games to go due to inflammation of the plica in his right elbow. He is expected to be 100 percent healthy by spring training and should fill a prominent role in the Mets' bullpen.

Parnell had a brilliant spring, then carried that success over into the season with a dominant first two months, taking over as the primary eighth-inning reliever in June. He flamed out in that role, but rebounded to have a scoreless July and was moved into the rotation in August. Parnell went 1-5 with a 7.93 ERA in eight starts following the switch and ended the year back in the bullpen. While Parnell returned to starting in winter ball, it seems highly unlikely that he will be in the 2010 Opening Day rotation. With his inability to consistently throw his secondary pitches for strikes and his high-90s fastball, Parnell appears to be better suited to a relief role, which is where he will likely be this season.

Parnell has one of the best power arms in the Mets' system, combining a low-to-mid 90's sinking fastball, hard slider and changeup that is a work in progress to get outs. He got off to a slow start - his ERA was above six at the end of April - but finished strong, posting a 4.30 ERA for Double-A Binghamton to earn a brief promotion to Triple-A and then the majors. Parnell struggled as a starter at Triple-A but pitched better out of the pen in the majors and is penciled in to open 2009 as a member of the team's revamped bullpen, where his control will determine if he remains in that role.