A report from ESPN says that Tebow, who played one season as the Jets punt protector as well as backup quarterback has signed a contract with the New York Mets to start in their minor league system.
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Other than Tebow’s reporting to the three-week Mets instructional league in Port St. Lucie on September 19, Alderson did not lay out a development plan for his newest Met. Tebow could go to the Arizona Fall League next month or remain in Port St. Lucie.
Only two of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams – the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics – did not attend his open workout at the University of Southern California. In his National Football League career, which included regular season appearances with the Broncos and the New York Jets, Tebow appeared in 34 games, throwing for 2,422 total yards and 17 touchdowns. Tebow had preseason workouts with the New England Patriots in 2013 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. However, Tebow did not perform well against live pitching, displaying a rather frightening continuation of swings and misses, especially at breaking balls. Though he was once a standout high school baseball player, Tebow gave it up in his junior year to focus on football. Last month, the Connecticut-based Bridgeport Bluefish minor league baseball team offered the former NFL player a contract to play for the team during the 2016 season.
Tebow has not played any competitive baseball for 11 years.
The Atlanta Braves were also huge players for Tebow, but in the end, it appears Tebow has chosen to go to the Mets. And then hit a baseball. Again this deal has no bad features, the Mets really lose nothing if Tebow does not work out but could gain a huge return if he does.
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Alderson cited pitcher Seth Lugo, a 34th-round draft pick, and infielder T.J. Rivera, who wasn’t drafted, as examples of long shots who reached the major leagues with the Mets. “We are part of the entertainment industry, and I think this will add some excitement to our spring”, Mets general manager Steve Phillips said at the time.
