Inside The Red Sox

Ex-Red Sox First-Round Pick Given One-Year Ban By MLB For Sports Betting

Boston will not regret moving on from the former top prospect

Scott Neville

The El Paso Chihuahuas' Jay Groome (44) pitches the ball at their season opener against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Friday, March 31, 2023, at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas.
The El Paso Chihuahuas' Jay Groome (44) pitches the ball at their season opener against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Friday, March 31, 2023, at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas. / GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA
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A former member of the Boston Red Sox organization is under fire for sports betting violations that occurred during his time in the Red Sox's farm system.

The Red Sox have a long history of dropping the ball when it comes to drafting and developing once-hyped pitching prospects -- which has been highlighted yet again with the biggest Major League Baseball story of June thus far.

"Padres minor league pitcher Jay Groome has been declared ineligible for one year for violating MLB’s sports betting rules and policies, including Rule 21(d)(1)," the league announced.

"Betting data shows that from July 22, 2020 through July 24, 2021, Groome placed 32 MLB-related bets. Of those, 24 bets involved the Red Sox major league club, all of which Groome placed while he was assigned to the Red Sox’ High-A affiliate in Greenville, South Carolina. All 24 of Groome’s Red Sox bets were on the final outcome."

Groome was drafted No. 12 overall in the 2016 MLB Draft by the Red Sox, a selection that was highly regarded at the time. The now 25-year-old was expected to become Boston's next homegrown star but after years of injuries and middling results, former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom traded the left-hander for first baseman Eric Hosmer, infielder Max Ferguson and outfielder Corey Rosier at the 2022 trade deadline.

The Red Sox still have the latter duo in their farm system but the trade has been a net neutral for both sides as none of the players involved have contributed in any meaningful way.

Groome is one of nine pitching prospects drafted by the Red Sox in the first round since 2010. Tanner Houck appears to be the only one living up to the hype -- though Matt Barnes was an instrumental contributor in Boston for a decade after he was moved to the bullpen.

Michael Kopech was part of the package that brought left-hander Chris Sale to Boston but that had little to do with his results and a lot more to do with his incredible ceiling at the time.

As for Groome, he'll have another red flag on his scouting report and for no reason. The southpaw bet $453.74 on MLB game-related bets and lost $433.54 in the process.

More MLB: Red Sox Slugger Will Be 'Prominent Player Discussed' At Trade Deadline

Published
Scott Neville

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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