BOSTON — Major League Baseball is cracking down on players gambling on the game, and slapped San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano with a permanent ban on Tuesday. While that was the biggest punishment handed out, former Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Jay Groome was one of four players to receive a one-year suspension from the league for betting on baseball.
Groome, who was drafted 12th overall by Boston out of high school in 2016, placed 32 MLB-related bets from July 22, 2020 through July 24, 2021 while a member of the Red Sox organization, according to MLB’s investigation. Of those bets, 24 of them involved the final outcome of Boston Red Sox games while Groome was part of the team’s High-A affiliate in Greenville.
“In March 2024, MLB learned from a legal sports betting operator that it had identified past baseball betting activity from accounts connected to multiple Major and Minor League players,” MLB said in a statement on Tuesday. “MLB obtained data from that operator and other sportsbooks, including authentication data for bets. None of these players played in any game on which they placed a bet. Further, all of the players denied that they had any inside information relevant to the bets or that any of the baseball games they bet on were compromised or manipulated, and the betting data does not suggest that any outcomes in the baseball games on which they placed bets were compromised, influenced, or manipulated in any way. None of the players are appealing their discipline.”
Groome’s MLB bets — which also included parlays on multiple MLB games and some non-MLB games — totaled $453.74. He had a net loss of $433.54, and received payouts on only two of his MLB wagers.
According to MLB rules, players can legally gamble on non-diamond sports but cannot bet on baseball or softball at any level. Players found to be gambling on teams other than their own face a one-year suspension for their first offense. That jumps to a lifetime ban if they’re found to have bet on their own team, as was the case with Marcano.
In addition to Groome, Oakland Athletics reliever Michael Kelly, Philadelphia Phillies infield prospect José Rodríguez, and Arizona Diamondbacks minor league pitcher Andrew Saalfrank were given one-year suspensions on Tuesday.
Groome has yet to make his Major League debut, making it to Triple-A Worcester for the Red Sox in 2022 before he was dealt to the Padres for veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer. Groome struggled for Triple-A El Paso last season, posting an 8.89 ERA over 30 starts.