With the major league debut of shortstop Amed Rosario seemingly imminent, General Manager Sandy Alderson instead informed reporters of Tebow’s progress in the minors.
SAN FRANCISCO — Before the Mets’ game against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, General Manager Sandy Alderson convened reporters outside the visitors’ clubhouse at AT&T Park to make an announcement.
With a chuckle and a cough, he said he had news about a promotion, which, given the defensive struggles in the Mets’ infield, suggested the imminent major league arrival of the team’s top prospect, shortstop Amed Rosario, from Class AAA Las Vegas.
“This is not earth-shattering news, ” Alderson said. “We’ re promoting Tim Tebow today to St. Lucie.”
It is unusual for a general manager to inform reporters personally about a player’s elevation from one minor league to another, much less a move from Class A to Class A Advanced. But Tebow is no ordinary minor leaguer.
At 29, he is taking his talents back to the state where he won the 2007 Heisman Trophy, as the University of Florida’s quarterback. It’s just a different set of talents now.
Tebow has been with the Class A Columbia Fireflies in South Carolina since the end of spring training, playing as an outfielder and as a designated hitter. Before Columbia’s game on Sunday, he was hitting.222 with three home runs, 69 strikeouts and a .651 on-base plus slugging percentage in 63 games.
But Tebow has recently improved in certain aspects, Alderson said, such as power, on-base percentage and exit velocity. So he will join the Class A Advanced St. Lucie Mets, in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“We’ re pleased with the first half of the season, ” Alderson said, acknowledging that Tebow’s baseball career involved special circumstances. “It’s not like he’s tearing up the league, but at the same time, all the indications are positive in terms of various things that we look at.”
Tebow’s N. F. L. career stalled after brief stays with four teams, and he decided last year to pursue a job in baseball, which he had not played since high school. The Mets signed him to a minor league deal in September.
