Padres Make Decision About First-Round Pick Suspended For Gambling

Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the most significant gambling-related suspensions to befall Major League Baseball in a generation.

Former San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was the most severely affected player. Commissioner Rob Manfred declared him permanently ineligible on June 4, 2004, and suspended four minor leaguers for one year, after all five were found to have placed bets on baseball games.

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Pitcher Jay Groome, one of the four minor leaguers assessed a one-year ban, was eligible for reinstatement by the Padres. Yet the former first-round draft pick won't be getting his roster spot back.

According to multiple reports Thursday, the Padres are non-tendering Groome, effectively removing him from their 40-man roster. Dennis Lin of The Athletic was first to report the news Thursday on Twitter/X:

With his one-year suspension ending today, the Padres are non-tendering Jay Groome. Groome is out of minor-league options.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) June 5, 2025

The Padres' decision on Groome was not a given. Michael Kelly, one of the other minor leaguers whose ban ended this week, was reinstated by the Athletics on Thursday.

A’s moves:
- RHP Michael Kelly reinstated from suspended list
- LHP T.J. McFarland reinstated from IL
- Elvis Alvarado and Justin Sterner optioned to Triple-A
- CJ Alexander designated for assignment
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) June 5, 2025

Andrew Saalfrank, another minor leaguer punished for gambling on baseball, was reinstated by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs gave veteran reliever Scott McGough's roster spot to him Thursday.

Reinstated from ineligible list and optioned to ACL: LHP Andrew Saalfrank

Designated for assignment: RHP Scott McGough
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) June 5, 2025

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies reinstated — then non-tendered — the fourth player whose suspension ended Thursday, minor league infielder Jose Rodriguez.

Infielder Jose Rodriguez (gambling suspension) was reinstated from the ineligible list today and non-tendered by Phillies. They were at 39 on 40-man roster but might need that spot for a pitcher this weekend.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 5, 2025

Groome is a former first-round draft pick (12th overall) by the Boston Red Sox. He was found to have placed 32 MLB-related bets from in 2020-21 — 24 of those involving the Red Sox — while he was assigned to the organization’s High-A affiliate in Greenville, S.C. All 24 of those bets were on the final outcome of the games.

In total, Groome bet $453.74 on 30 MLB game-related wagers, incurring a net loss of $433.54 on those bets, according to the league. Groome did not appear in any of the games on which he bet, and he did not make any bets involving his assigned team.

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A representative for Groome declined comment when contacted by The Athletic. He immediately becomes a free agent.

Weird to see an in-season non-tender, but since Groome was on ineligible list he wasn’t able to be tendered or non-tendered in November. Padres had to wait until reinstatement to make a formal call

Since it’s a NT rather than DFA, he immediately becomes a free agent. No waivers https://t.co/ZJzFqLvumX
— Steve Adams (@Adams_Steve) June 5, 2025

Groome had made three starts for Triple-A El Paso, totaling just five innings, at the time of his suspension. In 2023, the left-hander went 4-10 with an 8.55 ERA in 30 starts for the Padres' top farm team.

The Padres originally acquired Groome in the trade that sent first baseman Eric Hosmer to Boston on Aug. 2, 2022.

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Groome is 19-34 with a 5.54 ERA in 103 games (101 starts) across parts of seven minor league seasons.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.