Pelfrey Could Be The Set Up Man If Heilman Gets Traded

Ted Berg at SNY hits on a topic that I've hit on before (Pelfrey Could Be The Next Great Closer) with the Mike Pelfrey should move to the Pen:

I've long argued that hard-throwing youngster Mike Pelfrey should be moved into a relief role, and there's plenty of evidence to back me up. Not only does Pelfrey's limited arsenal profile better for a bullpen candidate, but fellow prospects like Bobby Jenks, Adam Wainwright and the stellar Jonathan Papelbon have all had big-league success in relief after working principally as starters in the Minors. I'm not saying Pelfrey will mimic those successes, I'm just saying it can't hurt to try.

It's way too soon to write off Pelfrey as a starter, even if he fared poorly in that role in 2007. Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine both struggled when they entered the Majors, but their teams could afford to stick with them during rebuilding phases. Since the Mets intend to compete in 2008, they don't have that luxury, and I don't know many Mets fans who'd be thrilled to have Pelfrey in the back of the rotation come Opening Day. A move to the bullpen will allow Pelfrey time to develop, and if the Mets still feel he can be the ace they once predicted him to become, they can transition him into the rotation when it becomes clear he has nothing more to prove in the bullpen.