The New York Mets released Tim Tebow from their spring training squad on Tuesday, reassigning him to minor-league camp. He will start the season with Class AAA Syracuse.
Tebow saw limited action in Grapefruit League play as he went 4-for-15 in eight spring training games. There wasn’t the expectation (or even the possibility) of Tebow starting the season with the big-league club. But he commended the Mets for, well, not being the Jets.
The former Heisman Trophy winner was asked about how this cut compared to the Jets’ handling of his release, and Tebow laughed at the notion that there was even something to compare.
Tebow said:
“It’s totally different than the Jets here. I don’t know that there’s much comparison at all. It’s very, very different circumstances. I think this is one where it’s just been open communication the whole time — knowing, understanding, learning.”
Tebow was released by three NFL teams in the final years of his football career. The Jets’ release, in particular, came after a rough season and took place well before training camp started in 2013.
Where Rex Ryan and John Idzik kept Tebow in the dark throughout the whole process, Mets manager Mickey Callaway and GM Brodie Van Wagenen communicated their plans before he even arrived at camp. He appreciated that.
Tebow is set to play his third season of minor-league ball — now, just one level shy of the MLB club. He hit .273 with six home runs in Class AA before suffering a hand injury.
