Red Sox take 17-year-old lefty Jason Groome with top pick: With the No. 12 pick in the first round, the Red Sox selected lefthanded pitcher Jason Groome out of Barnegat (N.J.) High School. Espinal, a 5-foot-10 right-handed hitter, was born in the Dominican Republic before moving to Florida at a young age.
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A groundskeeper lays chalk along the first base line before a spring training baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla., Wednesday, March 2, 2016. Groome withdrew his commitment to Vanderbilt in favor of a junior college program in Florida, a move that might increase his leverage to sign for above the MLB-recommended slot value considering he’s now eligible to re-enter the draft next year.
“We’re very comfortable we know who Jason Groome is”, Rikard said. There are no concerns about his make-up, either; the suspension thing should be a non-issue.
With their ninth round pick, the Red Sox took another college senior in outfielder Matt McLean out of Texas-Arlington.
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey last night, Groome said he was a big Red Sox fan and the night was a “dream come true”.
“I really didn’t feel that bad because everything happens for a reason”, Groome said on a conference call. I just couldn’t believe it. I was not expecting that at all. Upon his return, he went 1-3 with a save, which would seem impossible given his searing fastball that typically sits between 92 and 95 miles per hour and a curveball that is already good enough to buckle the knees of big-league hitters.
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The Red Sox make their first two picks in the Major League Baseball draft, Tedy Bruschi thinks Bill Belichick is up for experimenting, and the Celtics continue to work prospects out ahead of the NBA Draft.
