Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has signed a minor league contract with the Mets organization. No, it’s not April Fool’s Day an no, this isn’t an Onion article. The Heisman Trophy winner and University of Florida star turned Denver Broncos and NY Jets flop has set his sites on a second career as a pro baseball player. The 29 year old held a workout at USC on August 30 and 28 of 30 MLB teams sent a representative to watch the 6’3″, 255-pound lefty hit batting practice and shag balls in the outfield. At least one team liked what they saw and lo and behold, it’s the blue and orange.
Tebow hasn’t played organized baseball since his junior year of high school in Ponte Vedra, Florida in 2005. As an outfielder at Nease High School, turned heads with a .448 batting average, but he quit baseball to focus on football his senior year, landing a scholarship to play quarterback for the Florida Gators. Tebow shares the same agent as Yoenis Cespedes and Jacob deGrom, but it’s a long shot that he ever joins these two on the major league roster.
Tebow will join the instructional league in Port St. Lucie in a few weeks and Mets organizational coaches and instructors will see if he lives up to the hype. Most of this hype has come from former MLB catcher Chad Moeller, who’s been training with Tebow in Arizona. Moeller raves about the power potential he sees in Tebow. “He can hit a baseball a long, long way,” Moeller told the NY Times’ Tyler Kepner. “He has the ability to drive the ball to all fields. It’s crazy power.”
Crazy power against high school pitching and batting practice pitchers is one thing. Facing 95 mph fastballs and filthy breaking pitches at the major league level is a whole other animal.
Tebow’s attempted transition from the NFL to MLB is certainly not unprecedented, as we’ve seen Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan all succeed as two-way athletes. However, those three were all collegiate baseball players who got a much earlier start on their Major League pursuits.
Is it worth the long shot gamble for the Mets? Well, if nothing else, he’ll be a drawing card for a minor league affiliate in the spring. As an added perk, hell make great fodder for internet memes.
A Great Promo Opportunity and a Long Shot for an amazing athlete who would have been a real prospect 5-8 years ago
I realize that what I’m about to say is completely irrational, but if the 2016 Mets go in the tank now, I am totally going to blame this signing.
More rationally, I understand that this will ultimately just be a footnote to a blip.
“Hey, remember when the Mets signed that former football player? I forget his name– you know, the kneeling guy. Jim something? Thrombo? Trombone? Something like that. Damn, that was just kinda weird…”
You’re right, it is! lol
I am trying to decide whether this signing is typical Mets behavior or a departure. On one hand Tebow has power and probably no legitimate defensive skill. So far that sounds like an Alderson Met.
But he draws attention to himself ala Donald Trump. The Mets usually don’t go for that kind of guy.
His age also makes him someone with a very limited ceiling. I agree with those that think this signing is going nowhere. Maybe they can trade him to some NFL team for a late round draft pick.
Well, Depodesta is running the Browns…
Maybe Alderson signed him to get advice on his fantasy football team or maybe he signed him to be the cleanup hitter on his wiffle ball team. Either way, it is a joke.
After some soul searching, I think I’ve discovered the reason that Sandy Alderson made this ultimately savvy move. The Met outfield is overloaded with Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Michael Conforto, Alejandro de Aza and others. They don’t need infielders with Jose Reyes, Wilmer Flores and Asdrubal Cabrera hitting well. What they do need? A quarterback. Look up and down the met roster and you will find that they didn’t have a single quarterback on the roster. Now those offseason flag football mini-camps are gonna be way more competitive.
Awesome post, made my evening
They still don’t have a quarterback.
You have got to be kidding me. Why would the Mets sign Tebow? Sandy Alderson has something to hide and is using slight of hand to direct attention away from himself. It is a real shame that Alderson is spending even one minute on this when he should be focused on winning the pennant, planning for next year and figuring out why all of his starting pitchers are hurt.
Alderson must be losing his mind by signing a 29 year old failed quarterback who hasnt played baseball in ten years. ‘
If Tebow wanted to play baseball, he should have signed with an independent league team or played in Mexico.
This is a waste of time and an insult to the fans, organization and legitimate young undrafted talent.
One minute wasted on Tebow in a batting cage at the instructional league takes away from other young players.
Tebow needs to stay at his job at ESPN, oh, that’s right, he is staying there. The Mets are letting him work PT at ESPN while he tries to be the Wizard of Oz.
What I really believe is happening here is that Tebow really wants to be Mr. Met.
I’d rather have Kenny Powers.
This signing is an absolute disgrace to the sport we love. Tebow was horrible in the NFL, and is just wasting the time of baseball scouts and now the New York Mets. I would understand if I rebuilding team like the Braves, Reds, or even the A’s made this signing to draw fans and attention to themselves. But to think it is a team that has a reputation like the Mets, Sandy Alderson clearly needs to get his head checked.
The signing is no big deal. He’s a superior athlete, it gets the brand out there, whatever. He’s not going to get in the way of any real talent in the organization. Often these kind of signings are about relationships, doing small favors. Tebow’s agent also represents Cespedes.
Interesting aspect about the agents!
It’s a bit like inviting Garth Brooks to Spring Training.
I suspect it will be a learning experience for Mr. Tebow. What I expect him to learn is: baseball is hard.
I think that Tebow is the next Sidd Finch.
Mike W – hard to top a 168mph fastball.
This is a little off the wall but, so was the Tebow signing. The 51s need attention, Tebow is an attention magnet. Do you think Alderson was in Vegas last week for this?
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2016/09/the-other-side-of-neon-a-painfully-honest-look-at-baseball-in-the-desert.html/
TexasGus, I just read that same post on MMO. More than likely, Tebow winds up in Brooklyn who would get an attendance boost, kind of like they had when Reyes firat came back.
I wanted to hear if anyone else felt it had a chance.
I like your thinking about Brooklyn. It’s very hard to believe Alderson is expecting much from Tebow, especially allowing him to have off on college football weekends. Obviously, the Mets are second fiddle, so why do it? Maybe to bring attention wherever you want to put him?
Funny, I’m right now watching this report on SportsCenter and he throws barely just better than Granderson. Their analysts are talking marketing and advertisements for the Mets on this move but no way can he ever wind up in Citifield.
I’m thinking a D.J. Dozier ceiling, and a big “so what.”
When Tebow fails at this, what next? Phil Jackson signs him for the Knicks?
I wouldn’t put it past the Zen Master. Once Rose and Noah wind up on the DL, who knows what he’ll do. Can Tebow handle the triangle?