Former Barnegat High School star pitcher Jason Groom has been suspended for one year for violating Major League Baseball's sports betting rules and policies, it was announced Tuesday morning.
Groom is a member of the San Diego Padres organization and plays for the club's Class AAA El Paso (Texas) Chihuahuas. He was selected in the first round, 12th overall, by the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 Major League Baseball Rookie Draft.
He was the highest Shore Conference pick in draft history and signed with Boston for $3.65 million.
Groome was one of five players suspended for unrelated violations of MLB's sports betting rules and policies. The others were San Diego infielder/outfielder Tucupita Marcano, Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and minor leaguers Jose Rodriguez (Phillies infielder) and Andrew Sahlfrank (Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher).
No player is appealing the suspension.
What rules did Jason Groom break?
Rule 21 of Major League Baseball states:
“Any player, umpire, official or employee of any club or league who places a bet of any amount on any baseball game in which the bettor has no obligation shall be disqualified for one year.”
“Any player, umpire, official or employee of any club or league who bets any amount on any baseball game on which the bettor is under obligation shall be permanently disqualified.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred released the following statement in a release on the MLB website:
“Strict enforcement of Major League Baseball's rules and policies regulating gambling activity is a critical component of protecting our overriding priority of protecting the fairness of the game for our fans,” Manfred said. “The long-standing prohibition on sports officials betting on Major League Baseball games has been a fundamental principle for more than a century.”
“It is clear that the privilege of playing baseball comes with the responsibility to refrain from certain types of conduct that are legal for others.”
“Since the Supreme Court decision paved the way for the legalization of sports betting, we have been working with licensed sports betting operators and other third parties to ensure we are in a better position from an integrity standpoint through the transparency that a regulated sports betting system can provide.”
“MLB continues to invest heavily in integrity monitoring, education programs and awareness efforts with the goal of ensuring strict adherence to the fundamental rules of the game.”
MLB's investigation included interviews and review of available information regarding each case, with significant cooperation from MLB's legal sportsbook partners.
As a result of the investigation, the following charges were filed against Groom:
- According to betting data, between July 22, 2020 and July 24, 2021, Groom placed 32 MLB-related bets, 24 of which were on the Red Sox major league club and were placed while Groom was assigned to the Red Sox's High-A affiliate in Greenville, S.C. All 24 of Groom's Red Sox bets were on the final outcome.
- In total, Groom placed $453.74 on 30 bets related to MLB games (averaging approximately $15.12 per bet) and suffered a net loss of $433.54 on those bets. Ultimately, Groom only received payouts on two of his MLB bets.
- Groom's MLB bets included parlays, which sometimes included multiple MLB-related bets and sometimes included MLB-related and non-MLB bets.
- Groom did not play in any of the games he bet on, did not bet on any teams he played, and there is no evidence to suggest that the outcomes of any baseball games on which he bet were compromised, influenced or manipulated in any way, and Groom denies allegations.
- How MLB learned of the five players' actions
- MLB said it learned from a legal sports betting operator in March about past baseball betting activity from accounts linked to multiple major and minor league players.
- MLB obtained data from its operators and other sportsbooks, including bet verification data.
- None of these players played in the games that were bet on.
- Further, all of the players have denied having inside information regarding betting or that the baseball games on which they bet were jeopardized or manipulated, and the betting data does not suggest that the outcomes of the baseball games on which the players bet were jeopardized, influenced or in any way manipulated.
- Groome's career has been riddled with misfortune, having undergone Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in 2018 while with the Red Sox.
- He returned to action on August 21, 2019, in a game for Boston's Gulf Coast League team.
- He was added to Boston's 40-man roster in May 2021 and went 5-8 with a 4.81 ERA in 21 starts with the Class AA Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs.
- Groom was eventually promoted to Boston's Class AAA Worcester (Mass.) team in July 2022.
- Less than three weeks later, Groome was traded to San Diego and assigned to El Paso.
- He was one of the players left off San Diego's final roster ahead of the 2023 season despite posting a 1.29 ERA and 13 strikeouts in five spring training appearances. Groom was 4-10 with an 8.55 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 30 starts with El Paso last season.
- This season, he has pitched five innings across three appearances, striking out five, walking none and allowing one hit for a 3.60 ERA.
