Red Sox Select LHP Jason Groome (ADD: signed for $3.65M)

I feel kind of dirty seeing so many people speculating on and trying to ferret out this kid's character flaws, whatever they may be...at this point it sounds more likely than not that it's typical teenager BS and not much more. The team is aware of whatever-it-is and wasn't scared off, and that's good enough for me. I'd be happy to consider the matter closed unless some new warning sign presents itself.

If I had a lot of people combing through my behavior when I was 17, I'm sure they'd find a few red flags ... and my 17 year-old son is following in the family tradition. Kids are stupid at that age, especially boys. I turned out ok.

Not ALL 17 year olds drink. Most do. I didn't drink when I was 17. I was definitely in the minority. Don't drink much now in my 40s either. I would say that we don't know for sure that Groome has a drinking problem. We're reduced to trying to read in between the lines.

Let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if he has had a real issue with it. Teams were unsure for a reason. Maybe I'm totally off-base here. I really don't like to speculate.

If he has a problem, hopefully he'll get control of it. Hopefully it's nothing that different than most 17 year olds, but the possibility does exist that it could be a real issue and it could undermine his career, not to mention his life - if indeed that's the issue, which we can't honestly say that we know it is.

As you can tell I'm uncomfortable talking about this.

However I am very comfortable saying that I've very excited about his selection and think he can be the best pitching prospect to be drafted since Clemens (and please don't tell me about TINSTAAPP).

I remember when Clemens was drafted and I remember watching him in New Britain and we all knew (I was a kid and I knew) he was special and would be a stud in the majors. This kid has that vibe about him.

The Sox don't draft this kind of pitcher often. I think the last time they did was with Andy Yount and unfortunately a moment of overwhelming grief wound up destroying his career.

And yeah, I'm excluding Espinoza who was taken in the international draft. It's a long way away and may never happen, but the prospect of a Espinoza/Groom/Kopech/E-Rod/Price rotation 5 years from now is kind of exciting.

In other related and more relevant news and a great question-

Does Groome make this a buzzer beating signing?

I hope not. I would like to see this kid in Lowell by July.

I don't know the answer to your question but I'm 100% positive that we won't see him pitching for Lowell this year.
The GCL? Sure but not short season ball.

I don't think Lowell is unlikely at all, for a number of reasons. And it's really not that aggressive, there isn't a huge difference between the NYPL and the GCL.

It also doesn't really matter, he'll start next year in Greenville regardless.

Will go with that also.. Drinking wasn't allowed when I grew up in the household. I joined the Navy after HS (17) and then, could drink at 17 with Military ID in Florida and boys did some of us!. Later, in California the standard drinking age was still 21, but was 18 on base.. Being away from home for really 1st time? Many drank.

Sounds like this kid went away to IMG and was away from his parents for the very 1st time.. Went with the flow of his peers and drank.. Just be glad it wasn't like the distant past and had cigarettes and "other" pressures hoisted upon him as well.

He can stop it if he wants, most do after a bit when figure out it's nothing but poison.

This speculation about the maturity issues is strange. None of you have any idea what those alleged issues are, assuming that they exist.

A 17 year old with immaturity issues? Remain calm all is well!!!!

After doing some extensive digging here is all the internet has to offer on the issue of Groomes supposed "maturity issues"


-Jonah Keri cbs sports:
But according to multiple sources interviewed for this story, this was also around the point at which some concerns about Groome's makeup started to materialize. The rumors never involved any serious offenses, sources said -- more like standard youthful indiscretions.
>http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-draft-2016-jason-groome-journey-from-phenom-to-red-sox-first-round-pick/

-John Manuel Baseball America:
Then there’s Groome, whose camp has floated some very big signability numbers (“top three money”) amid a large number of rumors about his makeup. Now some of these rumors may be spread by teams hoping Groome will fall, but the rumors which started last summer have persisted. Asked what the craziest rumor he’d heard about Groome, one scout replied simply, “That he was dead.” It’s been that kind of spring.

Groome is no longer is committed to Vanderbilt, unlike Garrett, who is, and is now headed to Chipola (Fla.) JC. He cancelled a meeting with Oakland team president Billy Beane and now appears to be in free-fall in the first round.
>http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/unpredictability-hallmark-2016-draft/#ZojE3aFRjHX5B6wP.99

-Jesse Burkhart Fangraphs:
Some folks in the industry reacted to the suspension wondering if there wasn’t a deliberate attempt to dim Groome’s star. Multiple sources speculated that a team picking below the Phillies, who hold the No. 1 overall selection, may have alerted the NJSIAA to the transfer hoping that the suspension would bring down his draft stock. I hear, for example, that multiple clubs in the past few months have contacted Randazzo about Groome sitting out a period of time in the spring so that Groome slips to their draft position. I’m also told, by multiple sources, that Randazzo’s handling of Groome has rubbed some folks in the industry the wrong way. Most of the content of most of the conversations I had was shared off the record.
>www.fangraphs.com/blogs/timing-of-jason-groomes-suspension-raises-questions/

-Jason mastrodonato Boston Herald:
Questions about Groome’s makeup have not gone away. He’s reputed in the industry as someone who likes to have fun, perhaps too much fun at times.
>www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2016/06/questions_come_with_red_sox_top_pick_jason_groome

-Eric A Longenhagen Fangraphs:
I’ll say that there are issues and some of them are definitely of the, “Come one, he’s 17” ilk while others are not. Those latter issues are not so bad that I’d just take the kid off the board, but they’d give me pause and force me to sit down with the kid and learn about him. I will also say that some of what was circulating in the industry about him was absolute BS and teams were trying to Marino him down toward their pick, which I think is despicable.
>www.fangraphs.com/blogs/eric-longenhagen-prospects-chat/

Me too. I'm on the liquor (hard) as we speak. Groome will be fine.