With his NFL career essentially over, Tim Tebow wants to give baseball a shot. He's been training for roughly the past year and will hold a workout for all 30 MLB teams later this month. The former QB will soon turn 29-years-old, and his attempt at switching to baseball is a long-shot at best. After all, he hasn't played since 2005 when he was in high school.
However, that's not to say Tebow lacks talent. He was an All-State talent as a left-handed hitting outfielder in high school. Baseball America said Tebow could have been a draft pick if he hadn't elected to focus on football. But Tebow has been away from the game a long time and it's unclear if he'll be able to hit minor league pitching, let alone major league guys. On the plus side, his swing looks passable.
What an exciting day!! So excited for @TimTebow !!! The swing is for real!!! pic.twitter.com/klmzhI1YF9
— Chad Moeller (@ChadMoellerMLB) August 9, 2016
Tebow's move to baseball is less Michael Jordan and White Sox and more Tracy McGrady pitching for the Independent Sugar Land Skeeters. With that in mind, here are five teams that could sign Tim Tebow as a baseball player.
5. Colorado Rockies
Yeah, so the whole connection on this one is that Tim Tebow won a playoff game with the Denver Broncos. Tebow certainly won't start with the Majors and would be lucky to begin at Double-A with Hartford Yard Goats. No, seriously, that's there name. The Rockies are like a bunch of other teams, an option if Tebow actually looks really good in his workout, but a long-shot otherwise.
4. New York Yankees
The Yankees have never minded publicity and adding a big name like Tim Tebow could appeal to Hal Steinbrenner. Plus, the Yankees' minor league team could benefit from a boost in attendance and revenue by adding Tebow. The Yankees' High Class-A team, the Tampa Yankees, could be a fit given Tebow's heavy Florida ties.
3. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox's ties to Tebow stem from the comment made by Red Sox area scout Tom Kotchman back when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. As it turns out, he wanted to draft Tebow as a high school outfielder.
"We wanted to draft him," Kotchman told WEEI. "But he never sent back his information card. Either it never got to him, or it’s Tim Tebow. Who knows if it got to him, and if it did we just never got it back. Otherwise were were going to take him.’
Another Red Sox scout said he was impressed by Tebow, and that gives Boston two scouts who could push for adding Tebow. It's a long-shot, but there's a connection here. Plus, Tebow did briefly play for the Patriots.
2. Miami Marlins
Even with the Red Sox's ties, the Marlins might make the most sense. They're a Florida team, which will help convince the fans on Tebow. Even better, their Double-A team is the Jacksonville Suns. Tebow grew up just outside of Jacksonville, and he'd essentially be playing for his home town team in the Suns. The Marlins adding Tebow might not be for his on the field play, but he would sell tickets and merchandise.
1. Schaumburg Boomers
If you're wondering who on earth Schaumburg is, you're probably not alone. They're an independent baseball team that plays in the Frontier League and are based out of Chicago. While they aren't connected to any major league team, they have something to offer Tebow the major league squads have not yet: an actual contract. The Boomers have already extended a contract to Tebow. It might be a publicity stunt, but the Boomers (and plenty of Frontier League teams) would love to add Tebow for the tickets, merchandise and revenue. But would Tebow, who didn't want to play in the CFL for football, be willing to play in a lesser baseball league? If Tebow is truly committed to playing baseball, there's a chance he might need to play some independent league ball first.