New York Mets: Ex-Minor Leaguer rips Tim Tebow on Instagram

Some people like Tim Tebow, others don’t. Count former New York Mets minor leaguer Andrew Church in the latter group. Church ripped both Tebow and the team in a viral Instagram post this week.

In a cost-cutting move, the New York Mets released several minor league players this week. They weren’t the only team to do so. Seattle, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Washington, and Milwaukee also did the same thing. Other teams will follow suit soon. Since there will be no minor league season in 2020, players who aren’t important to the organization were released.

One of the players given his walking papers by the Mets was pitcher Andrew Church. The former second-round pick was quite angry with his former team. He accused the Amazins of misusing him to the point that he blew out his elbow.

Those charges, if true, don’t paint the New York Mets in a flattering light. At the least, they need to examine their player development system, mainly how the organization uses its pitchers. The Mets certainly can’t afford to lose their prospects before they even reach the majors.

Church didn’t confine his gripes to the way he was allegedly mistreated. Minor league outfielder/ former NFL quarterback/ ESPN broadcaster Tim Tebow was also a focal point of Church’s complaints. Although he didn’t mention Tebow by name, it was clear who Church was talking about.

"“They made a mockery of our team by putting a celebrity on it to sell more tickets,” according to Church. “I saw players lose their jobs because of it. We weren’t playing to win, we were playing to make everyone else money. Not the players. We never saw a cut. Well, allegedly that one player did.”"

Granted, Tebow hasn’t been a star at the plate as he worked his way up the Mets minor league system, but he was progressing. That is until last season. At Triple-A, Tebow struggled in 2019. He hit .163 in 77 games. It was a disappointment after he seemed to hit his stride the season before in Double-A.

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Whether or not Tim Tebow deserves to be part of the New York Mets organization is debatable. For the record, he still is. There is something to be said about character and leadership. Those are two traits he has that are not in dispute.

The Texas Rangers, then the New York Yankees, invited Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to spring training even though he doesn’t report to a minor league team. Why? Because he is a good influence on the younger players. It’s the same with Tim Tebow and the New York Mets.

Next. 5 reasons why Jets won’t trade Jamal Adams to Dallas. dark

How do you feel about Tim Tebow as part of the New York Mets organization? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.

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