New York Mets Will Make Jenrry Mejia a Starter, Call Up Bobby Parnell

The Mets have decided to return RHP Jenrry Mejia to a starting role and will initially send him to Double-A Binghamton to stretch him out. To replace Mejia they will recall RHP Bobby Parnell .

This is great news for Mets fans because Mejia, 20-years old, projects as a future starter and using him in the bullpen, in essentially a mop-up role, his development was being stunted.

Manager Jerry Manuel stated recently that he’d hoped that Mejia would have taken a firm grasp of the eighth inning role by now. Because he hadn’t, Manuel said that the team would reevaluate his role and it seems that’s exactly what they’ve done.

It’s not that Mejia has been awful, he’s been pretty good especially for a 20-year-old rookie (29 G, 0-2 record, 3.38 ERA, 26.2 IP, 15 BB, 16 SO, 122 ERA+, 1.650 WHIP).

Still, a young player with such a low strikeout ratio and high walk ratio needs to be in the minor leagues where he can continue his development. As a starter he’ll also be much more valuable to the Mets in the long run and maybe even this year too if they fail to trade for rotation help.

Replacing him is 25-year-old Bobby Parnell. Parnell pitched in parts of 2008 and 2009 with the Mets. His career numbers: 74 G, 8 GS, 4-8 record, 5.30 ERA, 93.1 IP, 104 H, 59 R, 55 ER, 8 HR, 48 BB, 77 SO, 78 ERA+, 1.629 WHIP.

Parnell has been pitching in Triple-A Buffalo all season as a reliever. In 23 games he’s pitched 40.1 innings with a 4.24 ERA. He’s also K’d 41 and walked 17.

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