Tim Tebow's Baseball Career Gets Promising Jolt, Invited to Mets Spring Training

MLB teams begin reporting for spring training next week, heading to either Florida or Arizona to [...]

By John Newby

MLB teams begin reporting for spring training next week, heading to either Florida or Arizona to prepare for Opening Day. The New York Mets will set up shop in Florida, starting on Friday, and will have a fan-favorite in the building. Tim Tebow will join the Mets for spring training and will try to make the final roster.

The Mets released a graphic on Twitter and revealed the list of invited players. Tebow was among the list of players, joining several other outfielders. He will then take part in the warmup games against the Marlins, Astros, Cardinals, and other teams while trying to impress new owner Steve Cohen and manager Luis Rojas. He is a longshot due to being a non-roster invite, but Tebow will have another opportunity to stick with the team.

"There's a kid out there hoping to fulfill his baseball dreams and career while 33yr old former football player Tim Tebow continues to get a chance," one critic commented on social media. Others responded and said that Tebow can still outhit some of the minor league prospects and deserves another opportunity to shine during spring training.

Tebow has been invited to spring training for the past four years after signing a minor league contract in 2016. He has hit .151 in 34 games and hit one home run last year before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the schedule. Now he will return to the Mets and try to add more big hits to his resume. Tebow may not make the team, but he previously told reporters that he wasn't giving up on his dream to make the Majors.

"That would obviously be something that would be special, and I think another part of the dream," Tebow said, per ESPN. "Part of it's just playing every day and enjoying it and competing, which I love. Obviously, that would be awesome. It would be a lie if I said that wouldn't be super cool. … But I wouldn't say it would be a success or failure if that did or did not happen."

In addition to saying that he would continue to pursue his baseball dreams, Tebow also received support from someone very high up in the organization. Mets president Sandy Alderson revealed in November that he had talked to Tebow and encouraged him to continue playing. The former first-round NFL quarterback agreed.

"So I talked to Tim Saturday, in between Florida football and some other SEC [broadcasting] obligations," Alderson said, per the New York Post. "He's anxious to come back. And I told Tim, 'Look, why would you want to end your quest based on a COVID-related reason? You didn't get a chance to perform this year.' He was hurt a little bit the previous year. So I think Tim is committed to coming back. And I think we're committed to giving him an opportunity to do that and we'll see where it goes."

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