Tebow to start season with Mets' Single-A affiliate

Tim Tebow's time with the New York Mets' major-league side is officially coming to an end. For real this time.

After constantly changing their mind regarding the former NFL quarterback, the Mets revealed Monday that Tebow will open the upcoming season in Single-A with the Columbia Fireflies in the South Atlantic League.

"Sending him to a full season club is what we hoped to be able to do," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told Marc Carig of Newsday on Monday. "And based on what he’s done in spring training, and his whole body of work since last fall, we feel comfortable with him going to Columbia."

After signing a minor-league deal with the Mets last season, the club assigned the 29-year-old to the Arizona Fall League where he mustered a .194/.296/.242 slash line in 62 at-bats, but the Fireflies look excited to have his name in their locker room for the upcoming campaign:

This spring, Tebow recorded just four hits in 18 plate appearances while with the big-league side, though Alderson was satisfied with his performance both at the plate and in the outfield.

"He's obviously very athletic and he has adapted very quickly," Alderson said, according to Carig. "His approach at the plate is very solid. He doesn't chase pitches. People might say his swing is a little long but the swing is professional. When he's made contact, it's often been hard contact ... Defensively, it's still a work in progress but it's adequate. He's made some nice plays, again demonstrating the athleticism that everybody's seen he has."