The New York Mets are rumored to have big plans for Tim Tebow, suggesting that the surprising signing for the Heisman Trophy victor is more than just a bid for a bit of publicity and minor league ticket sales. Or, if you prefer, my problem is that the Mets didn’t negotiate his full commitment to baseball.
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Tebow then went on to win the Heisman Trophy at the University of Florida leading the Gators to two national championships. To be frank, his chances of ever appearing for the Mets aren’t great. Alderson said after instructional league, Tebow may play in the Arizona Fall League if he has shown the aptitude to play in the league typically reserved for top prospects. Endorsements have never been an issue, but he’s also selling signed baseball memorabilia on his own website. The Mets have probably thought of what Tebow bring to the table as a brand as well.
Prior to moving to New Jersey, the New York Jets used to share their playing field at Shea Stadium with the New York Mets, but during that time, the two teams did not share any of their players. Tebow could also see time in Winter Leagues, but there is no guarantee that Tebow will be with the major-league squad when Spring Training rolls around. But how can anyone take Tebow’s baseball career seriously if he’s treating it like some sort of second job?
Tebow, 29, has not played baseball since 2004, his junior year of high school in Florida.
Still, Alderson was intrigued by the novelty of Tebow. Alderson declined to shed any light on what level Tebow would begin his minor league career next season. The Mets’ roots run pretty deep in Port St. Lucie, also the home of their spring-training operations, and the FSL is notorious for very bad, terrible attendance numbers (the Lakeland Tigers have averaged 334 [!] fans per game this season). A first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, his best season came in 2011 with the Denver Broncos, when he started 11 games and led the team to a playoff victory.
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Is Tebow turning to baseball just for the publicity? He turns 30 next August, a good five to seven years older than most players making their major league debut, let alone proving their chops in the minor leagues.
