The list of players who have suited up for the Aguilas del Zulia, a five-time champion of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, reads like a Who's Who of Major League Baseball.
Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona spent his winters there. So did Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Ryne Sandberg along with Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Current big leaguers Freddy Galvis (Phillies), Ender Inciarte (Braves) and Carlos González (Rockies) are on the current roster.
Could former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow be next?
On Monday afternoon, Aguilas general manager Luis Amaro sent a contract to Tebow's representatives at CAA in an effort to sign the former Heisman Trophy winner for the upcoming season that starts in October. Tuesday, Tebow will work out in front of Major League scouts in Los Angeles in the hopes of landing a deal with a big league club.
Yahoo Sports first reported the Aguilas' offer to Tebow.
"I think it's a low-risk, high-reward move for our standpoint," said Amaro, who is the brother of Red Sox first base coach Ruben Amaro. "He's a tremendous talent. Baseball is a harder game. It's a game of failure and it's a little different than football, but if he has all the talent that I think he does and puts it together, he can be a great ball player."
Tebow played left field in high school, and as a junior, he hit .494 with four homers and led Nease to the semifinal round of the Florida state playoffs. He didn't play baseball his senior year and eventually enrolled at the University of Florida, where he went on to lead the Gators to two national titles and won the Heisman Trophy in 2007.
Tebow was a first-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and led them to a division title in 2011 but has not appeared in an NFL regular-season game since December 2012. The former quarterback has been training for baseball in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"This league will test his skill," Amaro said. "If players aren't producing, there is turnover for the spots. You give a player a week or less to get acclimated to the league. Zulia has one of most passionate fan bases, and they demand winning and will let you know if you are not performing."
A representative from Zulia will be at Tuesday's showcase, Amaro said. The general manager expects Tebow to make a decision on his next step after Tuesday's showcase.
"I'm sure I won't be the only winter ball team interested in him, but I wanted to be one of the first," Amaro said. "I do want to see him in a Zulia uniform and see if he can help us win ball games. We are excited to see what happens."