Expect the Mets to continue the Tim Tebow circus in 2019 and beyond

The circus ended earlier than expected in 2018. In 2019, the New York Mets should pick up the Tim Tebow spectacular right where it left off.

At the beginning of 2018, I fully expected the season to have some sort of a Tim Tebow weekend in September. Even if the New York Mets were competing, the roster expansion would allow an opportunity to promote Tebow to the big leagues and sell a few extra tickets.

Things didn’t work out this way as Tebow suffered a season-ending injury while playing in Double-A. The Mets did get their big sale weekend thanks to David Wright’s retirement. This year, they may need to again revisit the idea of putting Tebow in a late September starting lineup.

As much as we’d like to believe the Mets will play 162 meaningful games, the odds are stacked against it. I expect the National League East to look tougher than ever in 2019. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies will add this offseason. The Washington Nationals may lose a few stars but will be sure to replace as many as they can.

More from Rising Apple

• NY Mets News: Marcus Stroman sees “potential fit” with the Angels
• NY Mets were too “seek” and not enough “destroy” last winter
• NY Mets: 1 trade target to consider from each 100-loss team
• NY Mets: Top 12 free agents the team should look to sign this winter
• NY Mets: Jeff Wilpon’s legacy continues to plague the Amazins

If by some miracle the Mets are competing late into the year, there’s still an opportunity to give Tebow a shot at playing in a big league game. There are garbage innings aplenty during the final month of the season. Until they’re complexly out of the race or have clinched a playoff berth, there’s always the chance to see Tebow play in a 25-4 loss.

The endgame of Tebow’s professional baseball career remains unclear. Is it simply a gimmick to sellout minor league ballparks? Does the conclusion come after he plays in MLB? Or does he really think he can crack the Mets roster and stay?

An ideal situation in 2019 includes an early division title and an easy opportunity to play Tebow in the final week of the season. He should spend most of the year touring Triple-A ballparks while representing the newly branded Syracuse Mets.

Once their season ends, Tebow will be 32. Without a major league at-bat under his belt, the urgency to get him on the roster at some point will be greater than ever for him and the big league squad.

I like the Tebow story and would have enjoyed seeing him take the field in a Major League Baseball game in 2018. In 2019, though, it feels like this story is beginning to drag even further.

You know when the public wants to see two boxers fight for a really long time and when they finally do, it’s clear they waited too long? This is a similar feeling except we know this is all a gimmick.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

Tebow is with the Mets for the lone purpose of selling out games. He has done the job and I’m about ready to see the story come to its conclusion.