One had to imagine that Tim Tebow‘s time with the New York Mets was nearing its end. With new ownership and a front office that did not include his former agent, there were no emotional ties to the former quarterback. His attempt to reach the majors would be over.
Instead, the Mets just cannot quit Tebow. He is on the list of players that have been invited to the major league portion of spring training.
The Mets have announced their non-roster invitees to spring training. Yes, Tim Tebow is among them. But also of note, the Mets invited a bunch of prospects who did not get to play in the minors last season.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 13, 2021
Among them: Álvarez, Mauricio, Crow-Armstrong, Baty, Allan and Vientos.
New York Mets wasting roster space with Tim Tebow
When last we saw Tebow on the diamond, he was struggling mightily in AAA. Over the course of his 264 plate appearances, he produced a miserable .163/.240/.255 batting line, hitting four homers and ten doubles with striking out 98 times.
The final nail in Tebow’s baseball coffin had seemingly come last year. He was not included as part of the Mets’ roster at the alternative site, as they preferred to use their roster spots for actual prospects and players that could theoretically help in the majors. Tebow obviously was not that.
As he is currently 33 years old, and with 42 minor league teams having been eliminated, roster space is at a premium. Teams cannot afford to hold on to an aging non prospect who has never appeared at the major league level, no matter how famous he may be.
And yet, there is Tebow, making his way to the major league side of spring training. Yes, he is just a camp body, and is likely to be sent to the minor league side at the first cutdown. But it is still a roster spot that could have been used for someone who could have an actual future in the majors, which is not the case with Tebow.
Despite all the reasons to the contrary, Tim Tebow is heading to the major league portion of spring training with the New York Mets. They just cannot quit the former quarterback turned minor leaguer.