Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Labors, Talent, Tebow

Braves’ interest in Tim Tebow ‘a pure baseball thing’ — and it makes sense

BOB KILLE / OMNISPORT in the SPORTINGNEWS.COM

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The Braves have had “multiple” conversations about a potential “low risk” signing of Tim Tebow, GM John Coppolella confirmed.

…

“We are interested in Tim because of his potential as a baseball player, not as a gate attraction,” Coppolella said (via ESPN.com). “We have spoken with his representatives multiple times and all parties involved want this to be a pure baseball thing on every level.”

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The Braves’ interest in Tebow — first reported by ESPN and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution — makes sense on a lot of levels, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

— He would cost almost nothing, likely a deal worth less than $100,000.

— He wouldn’t block top prospects since he won’t take a spot on the team’s 40-man roster and could start at Double-A, a reach for Tebow but a level at which the Braves are prospect poor.

— He showed enough talent to really be intriguing to the Braves.

ALSO:  This from last week.

[ Ed. note – if you Google up ‘interested in Tim Tebow’ or some such thing, nearly every article you find will have an overt reference to marketing, attendance, money-making… whatever.  That includes the (somewhat goofy) discussion in this video…

Very, very few actually believe there’s a real baseball angle to Atlanta’s interest, yet John Coppolella, in confirming Atlanta’s pursuit, suggests that it’s the only reason involved.

I believe him.

Would Atlanta stand to make a buck or two in the process?  Yeah, that’s probably the case.  There would be Tebow jerseys all over creation.  I am positive that minor league contract negotiations with Tim’s representatives are trying to guesstimate the extra revenue that could accrue so that he would also get a piece of that action.  That part isn’t so much marketing as it is recognition of the obvious business part of this.

Atlanta has no point in getting involved with this for any reason excepting baseball.  It’s just not worth the time, effort, added security that would be necessary, the daily media scrum that would happen – everything.

Insofar as the Sporting News’ take, I do think that a AA start would be too aggressive for Tebow at this point.  High-A Carolina (or wherever the heck that team ends up next season) is probably a better idea to start with, depending on how his Instructional League and Winter Ball pursuits go.

As for Colorado, the only angle I’m seeing on that at all (and the Rockies have not confirmed interest in Tebow at all) involves his prior membership with the Denver Broncos… yes, another marketing angle.  Other than hitting a ball 600 feet in thin air, that doesn’t sound like a fit for baseball reasons at all.

Thus it comes down to one club that seems to actually believe that there’s a real baseball purpose here… and Tim himself has declared that it’s his only goal as well.

Next: That Minor League Wrap

So let’s get this together:  the minor league seasons are done.  Let’s ink Tim to a deal that puts him into the Instructional Leagues and we’ll see how things progress from here. ]