Jay Groome, Nate Webb Sign With American Association's Kansas City Monarchs

"Groome, 27, was once a prospect of some note. The Red Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016 and he initially posted good numbers in the lower levels of the minors. Baseball America ranked him the #43 prospect in the league going into 2017. His stock dipped from there. He posted a 5.69 earned run average on the farm in 2017 then missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery."

"In the summer of 2024, he was one of four players who received a one-year suspension for betting on major league games while playing in the minor leagues. When his suspension was up in June of 2025, the Padres non-tendered him. Groome is obviously not as enticing as he was a decade ago but he's only 27, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that he can pitch his way back into affiliated ball."

"Like Groome, Webb has spent time on a 40-man roster but hasn't appeared in a big league game. Now 28, he was a 34th round pick of the Royals in 2016. In 2021, he struck out 37.7% of the batters he faced in the minors. Even though he hadn't yet cracked Double-A, the Royals didn't want to lose him. They added him to their 40-man roster in November of 2021 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft."

Jaylen Groome and another pitcher have joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the independent American Association. Groome, 27, was once a highly regarded prospect drafted 12th overall by the Red Sox in 2016 and ranked #43 in Baseball America going into 2017. His career derailed due to injuries, poor performance, and a suspension for betting on major league games while in the minors. He was non-tendered by the Padres in June 2025. Webb, 28, was a 34th round pick by the Royals in 2016 who showed promise with a 37.7% strikeout rate in 2021 but struggled with injuries and poor performance in subsequent seasons. Both players seek to revive their careers in independent baseball.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors