Matt Ehalt

Staff Writer, @MattEhalt

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – For a player with as limited experience as ex-NFL quarterback and current Mets prospect Tim Tebow, there’s little reason for him to be in major league camp during spring training.

“Except for advertising purposes,” Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson said with a laugh Tuesday during the second full day of the winter meetings.

All indications are Tebow will be in minor league camp during spring training, but both Alderson and Mets manager Terry Collins expect Tebow to play in occasional Grapefruit League games. The two both praised Tebow on Tuesday for how he’s handled himself since joining the franchise.

Tuesday proved to be a quiet day for the Mets at the winter meetings as trade talks regarding outfielder Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce have yet to build momentum, and the team is still browsing the free agent and trade market before the meetings conclude Thursday.

“I will tell you if he's not in our camp, I'll get him over. I think he's a name in Florida. He's a star in Florida. He should be,” Collins said. “I think it would be fun to have Tim come over.

“And certainly one thing about our players, they're athletes, too. They're fans, too. They would probably like to know how to run a quarterback sneak one day.”

Tebow’s celebrity status is such that he can be a topic of discussion even as the Mets are trying to trade an outfielder here at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, and he will attract plenty of eyes to Port St. Lucie, Fla. when he arrives. Collins jokes that perhaps he can drive to camp in fancy car each day like Yoenis Cespedes did this past season when he turned the parking lot into a daily photoshoot.

Alderson said the decision will be made soon on which camp Tebow will attend, and all but indicated Tebow will be assigned to minor league camp. Tebow had last played organized baseball in high school before signing with the Mets, and recently hit .194 with a .538 OPS in the Arizona Fall League (AFL).

The general manager mentioned that Tebow’s celebrity status is a factor in the decision.

“We understand he’s a little bit older and the process needs to be accelerated at some point,” Alderson said. “But we still need to be prudent about it and put him in situations where he can succeed and not be viewed as, I was going to say circus animal, but that’s probably not appropriate.”

Tebow impressed Mets staffers with his attitude and work ethic even while he struggled in the AFL, and it gave Collins and Alderson reason to believe he’ll help the youngsters in minor league camp.

Mets first base coach Tom Goodwin managed Tebow in the AFL, and Goodwin told Collins that Tebow was focused on being a tremendous teammate. Alderson said that he believed Tebow did a “nice job” all things considered, and the plan is for him to begin the year with a full-season minor league team.

“The fact that Terry said he would welcome him is indicative of the impact he has had on the organization from a personal standpoint as much as a professional one,” Alderson said. “This is somebody who already had a positive influence in the clubhouse among his peers, that’s one of the things, one of the benefits we anticipated. Nice to know he’s the real deal.”

BRIEFS: Collins said Curtis Granderson will play a lot of center field if he is not traded. The team would prefer to trade Bruce. … Collins expects David Wright to need more days off than he’s had in the past. …Alderson said Michael Conforto will play quite a bit this upcoming season provided the team trades one of the outfielders. …Using Zack Wheeler as a reliever can help manage his innings in his return from Tommy John surgery. Wheeler is facing an innings restriction since he last pitched in the majors in 2014 …Ex-Met Jerry Blevins is believed to be seeking a three-year deal that could make a reunion unlikely.