Jays: Top pick Groshans, mate Kloffenstein sign
The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Jordan Groshans, an offence-first shortstop from Magnolia High School in Magnolia, Texas. The news of Groshans’ signing was first reported by Jon Heyman of FanRag.
The 18-year-old was selected No. 12 overall by the Jays last week. The Major League Baseball-assigned, slotted signing bonus is $4.2 million, but it is believed he agreed to terms for somewhat less than that, allowing the Jays to also sign his high school teammate, six-foot-five right-hander Adam Kloffenstein, who was chosen in the third round, 88th overall. There are penalties assigned by MLB for spending over the combined bonus slots of the first 10 rounds.
The slotting system assigns recommended player bonuses in descending value.
Groshans had been predicted to go late in the first round by most draft experts, but the Jays selected the six-foot-three, 178-pounder at No. 12 after the Pirates had snagged outfielder Travis Swaggerty with the 10th selection. Groshans and Kloffenstein will report to Dunedin, Fla., for extended spring training and either be assigned to a team or continue their training with the player development staff. Groshans may not end up reaching the majors at shortstop given his size and defensive abilities. The Jays have six shortstops among the top 30 prospects in the system, according to MLB.com. The list includes Bo Bichette, Logan Warmoth, Richard Urena, Kevin Smith, Leonardo Jimenez, and Kevin Vicuna.
Groshans is the first highschool player chosen as Toronto’s top pick in the June draft since right-hander Tyler Beede in 2013. Beede did not sign. The last time the Jays selected as high as 12th overall was 2014, choosing right-hander Jeff Hoffman from East Carolina University. Hoffman signed and was later shipped to Colorado as the key piece in the Troy Tulowitzki trade.
TULO BACK ON TRACK: It’s likely to be more than a year between Tulowitzki’s appearances in a major-league game, but the injured shortstop for says he’s getting there.
“I can honestly say for the first time in a while I feel like I’m headed in the right direction,” Tulowitzki said Tuesday before the Blue Jays’ game at Tampa Bay.
The 33-year-old Tulowitzki, a five-time all-star, had surgery April 2 to remove bone spurs from both heels. He’s just getting back to the point of taking ground balls, hitting and running in the outfield. He last appeared in a game on July 28, 2017, but did not elect to have the surgery until this year.