New York Mets Rumors: Bobby Parnell will not be traded

The New York Mets may have a 25-39 record and are in the midst of a poor, sub-.400 season, but the Mets aren’t going to go into a firesale at the trade deadline or anything. One of their major pieces is 28-year-old closer Bobby Parnell, who has nine saves this season with an impressive 2.83 ERA and a great 1.05 WHIP. A team in need of bullpen help would definitely consider trading for the Mets closer, but it sounds like the Mets don’t want to trade Parnell. According to a source close to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Mets do not expect to trade Parnell.

Based on Martino’s report, it would be a surprise to see the Mets deal Parnell, and the source stated that Mets GM Sandy Alderson views Parnell as a “valuable piece” for the 2014 season. Even though they could probably get a great deal from a contender for Parnell, who is a very solid closer, the Mets and Alderson seem happier to keep him shutting the door with the Mets for another season or two.

Parnell has two years left on his deal, so the Mets can definitely wait it out. They are in a position where they don’t have to feel rushed into dealing Parnell, as they can trade him at next year’s deadline if they do decide to be sellers. That said, it isn’t crazy to think that the Mets will deal Parnell if a contender gives them an offer that they can’t refuse.

Even though there would be plenty of interest from teams like the Detroit Tigers, the Mets are going to stay the course with Parnell. In fact, the Mets approach with Parnell is based on their larger view of the trade deadline. Don’t expect the Mets to be sellers at the deadline, because Alderson isn’t willing to blow up the team just yet. There isn’t much there, true, but the Mets don’t want to set themselves too far back. Even though they could get a nice deal for Parnell, it seems more prudent for the Mets to keep him for another year and take advantage of that flexibility. They won’t get as good of a deal in a year, but they also get more quality ninth innings and could even decide to keep him for the remaining two seasons of his contract. The Mets aren’t going anywhere in the standings, but they also aren’t going anywhere at the trade deadline- or so it seems at the moment. Things could quickly change, and the Mets probably wouldn’t be adverse to trading Parnell under the right circumstances.