Parnell opts for DL over trip to Minors, DFA
Struggling reliever has posted 14.14 ERA in last 10 appearances
PHILADELPHIA -- Former closer Bobby Parnell did not necessarily have to go on the disabled list last week, he confirmed Monday, but considered a trip there the best of three options that the Mets presented to him.
The team told its struggling reliever last week that they could place him on the DL, option him to Triple-A Las Vegas or designate him for assignment -- the choice was his. Parnell, who has struggled to regain his form since undergoing neck and Tommy John surgery in April 2014, and neck surgery the previous September, opted for his second DL stint of the season.
"It's been a long two years," Parnell said Monday in his first comments since making the decision. "I'm dragging a little bit. I was hoping I could take my break in November. It came a little earlier."
The Mets couldn't have optioned Parnell to the Minors without his permission, while a DFA almost certainly would have resulted in his release.
The Mets' closer from late 2012 until his Tommy John surgery last April, Parnell will be a free agent after this season. He posted a 0.73 ERA in his first 13 appearances, but a 14.14 mark in 10 games after that, and expects to return to the Mets when rosters expand in September.