Non-Roster Spring Training Invites

[Edgy MD]

As per the standard in the Alderson era, the Mets have been particularly stingy with their spring invites. I'm guessing that recently DFI'd pitchers Chasen Bradford and Kevin McGowan will get invites if they clear waivers, but that remains to be seen.

Starting Pitchers
P.J. Conlon, L/L

Relief Pitchers
Matt Purke, L/L
Drew Smith, R/R
Corey Taylor, R/R
Adonis Uceta, R/R

Catchers
Jose Lobaton, S/R
Patrick Mazeika, L/R

Infielders
Peter Alonso, R/R
Phil Evans, R/R
David Thompson, R/R

Outfielders
Zach Borenstein, L/R
Kevin Kaczmarski, L/R
Tim Tebow, L/L

Most likely names there to break camp with the team strike me as Purke and Borenstein. A good camp could get Smith onto the bus too, I guess.

[nymr83]

Tebow is invited!

[Ceetar]

Nymr83 wrote: Tebow is invited!

makes the cut even more fun.

[Centerfield]

Why no Szapucki?

[Edgy MD]

Szapucki won't be pitching, having had his season end in July of last year with Tommy John surgery.

Also, he hasn't appeared above Columbia, and the Alderson-era Mets have a policy of only inviting guys who they think could conceivably make the team under a realistic scenario, so experience in the high minors seems to be a pre-requisite.

I kind of liked the days when the team's top prospects, no matter what their level, would get an invite, just to give them a flavor of a big league environment, working out with big league players, before shuffling them back to minor league camp after a week with a ticket to Savannah or wherever.

[Guest 41Forever]

Nymr83 wrote: Tebow is invited!

Loved seeing Tebow in spring training last year and glad he’s invited back. Generates a lot of excitement, a good ambassador for the team, and he’s fun to watch. After seeing him a year ago, will be interesting to see how he’s improved.

[Edgy MD]

He wasn't actually invited last year, so much as floated. A lot.

There used to be a limit on how frequently you could float a non-camper onto your game-day roster, but last year, it looked like non-invitees Tebow and L.J. Mazzilli got more plate appearances than anybody.

Mets Roster Central has him as the 12th outfielder on the organizational depth chart, with non-invites such as Jayce Boyd, Kevin Taylor, John Mora, Wuilmer Becerra (invited as a 40-man roster player last year), and Champ Stuart ahead of him, but I recognize the now-or-neverness of his status. And I'm sure those guys will all get springtime appearances if they play their cards right.

Stuart's probably the best ballhawk in the organization (apart from Lagares) and managers usually like to have one of those around, no matter how crappy the rest of their game looks. If Laggy gets dealt, Stuart will probably get a long look even if he's hitting .200 (which isn't unheard of for him).

[ashie62]

I am reminded of non-hitting "ballhawk" OF Jeff Duncan.

[RealityChuck]

I'm surprised at the vitriol over Tebow's inclusion. The two complaint are 1. Other, better players weren't invited and 2. He'll be a media distraction.

For point 1, AFAIK there's no limit to spring training invites, so he's not taking a spot from anyone else. Essentially, the Mets said, "Let's invite our best prospects and also Tim Tebow." You can mention other players, but the team wasn't going to invite them, Tebow or not. So it's a nonissue.

2. Media distraction. Right. The media wouldn't be filling the clubhouse if it weren't for him. They wouldn't be interviewing Syndergaard about if he feels healthy, or Harvey about how his arm is doing, or DeGrom over whether it's easier to pitch with shorter hair, or Dom Smith about how he feels about Gonzalez, or Gonzalez about how he feels about Smith, or Conforto about when he'll return, or Cespedes about what he drove to spring training. No. Not at all. Why without Tebow, you could roll a bowling ball down the locker room after a game and not hit a reporter.

It's nonsense. He'll bring in more fans and be useful for split squad games (since the team is short on outfielders).

[nymr83]

He is there to sell tickets, which is fine. Gotta pay back Picard and every dollar counts!

[Frayed Knot]

No reaction over Tebow surprises me anymore.

[Edgy MD]

The funny part is the media outlets spilling 1,200 words over how Tim Tebow is a media distraction and not seeing the irony.

[Guest 41Forever]

I suspect we’ll see fewer stories this year, especially if he shows he’s improved.

[bmfc1]

I'm not a fan of Tim or any of the Tebows but he takes up space in meaningless games and the press can talk to him instead of falling asleep at Jay Bruce's locker. The media treats him like a Make-A-Wish kid ("look at that effort" after he faceplants into the dirt while the ball soars over his head) but he provides the Mets some publicity and gives some of the fans a reason to pay attention to the 6th to 9th innings of the 1st 2 weeks of spring training games.