Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow’s baseball workout drew plenty of attention yesterday, and it wasn’t solely from the media. It is fair to note that 28 teams were represented by scouts, with several sending rather high-level personnel to have a look. Only the Cubs and Athletics ultimately did not put eyes on the college football great, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Even if a lack of alternative scouting opportunities and sheer intrigue had a role in that tally, it seems clear there was some genuine interest in seeing how the former quarterback looked in a baseball uniform — even at 29 years of age.

Here are a few sources of information if you’re curious how things went:

• From an athletic perspective, Tebow looked to be in fantastic shape and put up a strong time in the 60-yard dash. But one scout’s overall impression was that Tebow seemed more like “an actor trying to portray a baseball player” than a budding talent, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). As Josh Peter of USA Today further reports, the Heisman winner flashed a slightly below-average arm, though some viewed him as an approximately average potential defender in the outfield after watching his full fielding workout.
• The raw power that Tebow displayed seemingly raised the most eyebrows. One scout actually gave it a top-of-class 80 grade, per Taylor Blake Ward of Scout (Twitter links). Another classed it more modestly at a 65, which is still quite impressive, though that second source noted that the pop might only play at a 55 level.
• Pure power is certainly an intriguing commodity, standing alone, particularly in an otherwise athletic player. But the biggest question will be whether it can translate one day to major league pitching, especially given Tebow’s long layoff from hitting and his extremely advanced age for a potential prospect. As Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports, the overall view of scouts ranged from relatively positive — “he’s definitely intriguing,” said one — to downright laughable — one said flatly that “he sucked.” But those who took a close look seemingly witnessed both the potential and the areas of concern, including whether his “grooved swing” and overly-muscular frame would allow the power stroke to come through in game action.
• Tebow’s representatives at CAA said that five or six clubs engaged with Tebow directly after the workout, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. While that suggests some genuine interest, there was also reason to be skeptical. The long balls that the hulking slugger drove during BP didn’t quite continue when he faced live pitching, scouts noted to Davidoff — who says the scene actually became a bit awkward as it unfolded. Tebow’s agents hope that he’ll sign in time to participate in fall instructional league, with an Arizona Fall League or perhaps a winter ball appearance to follow. But it remains to be seen whether Tebow would be deemed ready for that level of competition.

Better known for his college football prowess and brief but intrigue-filled NFL career, former quarterback Tim Tebow is stepping onto the diamond today in an effort to show that he is worth developing as a corner outfielder. It’s questionable whether he can make the transition at the age of 29, which is about the time that many top major leaguers are reaching free agency. You can read more background and details of today’s showcase right here.

Here are the latest notes before scouts get their first look:

• Tebow’s undertaking to pursue a late-breaking baseball career grew from a side consideration into a full-blown effort, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. While Tebow has begun to make believers out of some of those who have worked with him — including former MLB backstop Chad Moeller and long-time big league pitcher David Aardsma — he still has some work to do in convincing scouts and front offices. But Crasnick explains that there are some in the baseball ops world who are genuinely intrigued by a player who did turn some heads back in his high school days — if mostly for his pure athletic ability and evident leadership skills. Those inclined to learn more about Tebow’s unique quest would do well to read all of Crasnick’s detailed, rather interesting piece.
• Even before he hits the field today, Tebow has drawn an offer from a respected Venezuelan winter league team, the Aguilas del Zulia, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The team’s general manager, Luis Amaro — brother of former Phillies executive and current Red Sox coach Ruben Amaro Jr. — says that Tebow is “a great talent.” While it remains to be seen whether his athletic ability can fully translate, Amaro says it’s worth finding out: “I know baseball is a hard game,” he said, “but he’ll either adjust and show he’s ready to play pro ball or not. I think it’s low risk, high reward for Zulia.”
• Certainly, a Venezuelan winter ball assignment wouldn’t be the equivalent of leaping to the majors, but it represents a stiff test for any player. Many current and hopeful big leaguers hone their skills there and in other winter ball settings. Notably, too, Aardsma says that he believes Tebow is capable of reaching the Double-A level as soon as the 2017 season, the veteran reliever told Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow will hold a workout for major league teams on August 30th, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick was among those to tweet. You can find a round-up of ESPN.com’s reporting on the topic here. He’ll be hoping to convince scouts that he is worthy of his first professional baseball contract at 29 years of age.

An all-time great NCAA football performer on the gridiron for the University of Florida, Tebow’s celebrity has outstripped his performance since he joined the professional ranks. He washed out after just three seasons in the NFL and has mostly worked as a college football analyst since 2012.

The more recent shift of Tebow’s gaze to the National Pastime has created ample media attention. It largely goes without saying, though, that the odds remain firmly against him ever playing any kind of impactful role in a minor league system — let alone reaching or succeeding in the majors. Tebow was quite a productive baseball player in high school, when he lined up in the corner outfield, but has focused exclusively on football in the intervening decade-plus since he hung up his glove and bat after his junior year.

Despite the long odds, it seems that MLB clubs are intrigued enough to take a look. More than twenty, in fact, are reportedly sending talent evaluators to see the workout, which is said to be the culmination of almost a year of preparation. Tebow will go through a fairly typical routine, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He’ll run, field flies and throw to bases, take live BP, and then face some live pitching.

The Dodgers previously “showed interest” after one of their scouts watched Tebow before the season, per ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell. Perhaps it’s telling, though, that the game’s most voracious consumer of amateur talent did not find a way to get the former Heisman Trophy winner into its talent pipeline when it had the chance. Whether or not Tebow has enhanced his appeal since that time remains to be seen, though it seems apparent already that the entire undertaking has succeeded in creating a spectacle.

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is “actively pursuing” a career as a baseball outfielder and will hold a workout for MLB scouts next month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes. Tebow has been training in Arizona and California as a baseball player for nearly a year, working with former MLB catcher Chad Moeller. His agents, Jimmy Sexton and Nick Khan, are now working with CAA’s Brodie Van Wagenen (who has worked with MLB players like Yoenis Cespedes, Robinson Cano, Todd Frazier and Ryan Zimmerman) as Tebow pursues a career in MLB.

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“This may sound like a publicity stunt, but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Van Wagenen in a statement. “I have seen Tim’s workouts, and people inside and outside the industry – scouts, executives, players and fans – will be impressed by his talent.”

Needless to say, getting to the big leagues will be an uphill battle for Tebow, who is now nearly 29 and hadn’t dedicated himself to baseball since he was in high school in 2005. His case perhaps bears similarities to that of Michael Jordan, who left the NBA and began pursuing a baseball career in the White Sox system at the age of 31, only to struggle at Double-A.

Tebow, though, was an MLB draft prospect in high school as a lefty-hitting outfielder, as Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper tweets. Tebow did not play baseball as a high school senior or at the University of Florida, however.

Tebow won the Heisman Trophy at Florida in 2007, then led the Gators to a national championship in the 2008 season. He played three years in the NFL with the Broncos and Jets. ESPN hired him as a football analyst in late 2013.