Red Sox Agree To Terms With Jason Groome

Multiple sources have confirmed to Baseball America that the Red Sox have come to an agreement with 2016 first-round pick Jason Groome on the day before the draft signing deadline.

Groome’s signing bonus is $3.65 million, pending the results of a physical conducted by the Red Sox on Thursday. In addition to finalizing their agreement with Groome, the Red Sox also reached agreements with fourth-round pick Bobby Dalbec, the third baseman/righthander out of Arizona, and fifth-round pick Mike Shawaryn, a righthander out of Maryland.

MLB.com reported a $637,500 bonus for Shawaryn and $650,000 to Dalbec, both signings above the allotment for their slot.

As Baseball America reported last week, Groome and his advisors had agreed to the parameters of pre-draft deal with the Padres, who planned to take him with either the 24th or 25th pick and sign him for a bonus of $5 million. On the day of the draft, Groome was perceived as a difficult sign for teams that lacked the top bonus pools. While some teams toward the top of the draft had him off of their boards because of concerns about his off-the-field makeup, others passed on him because of his perceived bonus demands in combination with the makeup.

Rumors have swirled about Groome for more than a year, with concerns about his early departure from the 2015 Tournament of Stars and his decision to transfer from IMG Academy back to his hometown school of Barnegat (N.J.) High, which resulted in him being ruled ineligible for seven games. Many of the rumors were related to off-field character concerns, though coaches and sources close to Groome often advocated for his on-field makeup.

The lefthander ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the 2016 BA 500. His velocity fluctuated at times this spring, and sometimes tapered off later in outings during the summer showcase circuit as an amateur. He has the potential for an elite curveball, and showed flashes of feel for his changeup. Groome has a built-to-last frame, standing at 6-foot-5 with wide shoulders and the physicality often found in workhorse starters. As he learns to stay on top of his curveball and repeat the mechanics of his lower half, he could develop into a frontline starter.

The addition of Groome, as well as Dalbec and Shawaryn, provides another jolt to one of the best farm systems in baseball. The Red Sox have two of the top 10 prospects in the game, with the No. 1 overall prospect in Cuban second baseman Yoan Moncada and the No. 9 overall prospect in 2015 first-round pick Andrew Benintendi, even after the reported trade of No. 15 prospect Anderson Espinoza to San Diego.

Dalbec shined as a pitcher in 2016 (11-6, 2.50) for Arizona but led the Cape Cod League in home runs in 2015 and wants to hit, and the Red Sox drafted him as a third baseman. Shawaryn had an erratic junior season but had 307 strikeouts in 307 career innings as the best pitcher in the history of Maryland’s program. Like Groome, he’s a New Jersey prep product.