'Tebow Time' hits Year 4 with camp invite
Tim Tebow will be at Major League Spring Training with the Mets again this season.
The 32-year-old NFL quarterback-turned-Minor League outfielder was among the Mets' list of eight non-roster invitees to 2020 Spring Training, the club announced Thursday.
Tebow is entering his fourth season as a Met. Playing at Triple-A Syracuse last season, he hit .163/.240/.255 with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 77 games before suffering a season-ending laceration on his left hand on July 21. It was the second year in a row Tebow's season ended early due to injury -- he missed the final two-plus months of 2018 due to a broken bone in his right hand.
Also among the Mets' non-roster invitees this year are No. 7 prospect David Peterson, the 24-year-old left-hander who was the team's first-round Draft pick in 2017, and No. 11 prospect Kevin Smith, the 22-year-old lefty who was the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in '19.
Two other Mets non-roster invitees also rank among the team's Top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline: 23-year-old right-hander Ryley Gilliam (No. 16) and 26-year-old catcher Patrick Mazeika (No. 27).
The team's other invitees to Spring Training are: 24-year-old right-hander Stephen Nogosek, who made his MLB debut for the Mets last year; 26-year-old catcher Austin Bossart, who was acquired from the Phillies for Jason Vargas before the 2019 Trade Deadline; and 27-year-old righty Matt Blackham.
In addition to the non-roster invitees from within the organization, the Mets also announced Thursday that they've signed seven players to Minor League contracts with invites to Major League Spring Training: 27-year-old outfielder Ryan Cordell, 24-year-old outfielder Johneshwy Fargas, 26-year-old infielder Jake Hager, 25-year-old right-hander Pedro Payano, 24-year-old righty Francisco Ríos, 23-year-old catcher David Rodríguez and 25-year-old righty Adonis Uceta.