Blue Jays Agree to Deal with First Round Pick Jordan Groshans

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly agreed to a deal with their first-round pick, infielder Jordan Groshans from Magnolia, Texas.

According to Jon Heyman of FRS Baseball on Twitter, the Blue Jays have reached a deal with their first-round pick, Jordan Groshans of Magnolia High School in Texas. Groshans was selected 12th overall and stands at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds. Heyman also notes that the slot value for 12th overall is $4,200,900.

According to Blue Jays scouting director Steve Sanders, the Blue Jays were interested in Groshans for about a year prior to drafting him, so it comes as no surprise that he reached a deal with the team rather quickly.

Steve Sanders had this to say about Groshans:

"“We knew early on that Jordan was somebody that we were going to be interested in, dating back as far as last summer and even a little bit before that, and he’s somebody we’ve watched closely. As that timeline evolves we’ve had a lot of guys on our staff not only go see him play, but spend time with him off the field, getting to know him”"

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Groshans, who has been lauded for his natural skill and athleticism, was ranked 31st by MLB.com, 28th by Fangraphs and 38th by Baseball America entering the draft. Prior to reaching this deal, Groshans was committed to the University of Kansas.

Another interesting tidbit of information regarding Groshans’ signing is the fact that his Magnolia teammate, right-handed pitcher Adam Kloffenstein, was selected 88th overall by the Jays and recently agreed to a deal with the team. The two are not only teammates but are also apparently good friends.

Groshans is going to be groomed as a shortstop in the organization, seeing as Sanders has praised him for his “skills that he has to go out and play shortstop”. Although, with the bevy of talented shortstops in the lower minors, it’s possible that Groshans eventually transitions to third base as his young career progresses.

It’s good to see that the Jays have reached a deal with their first-rounder, seeing as they liked what they saw in him. Here’s hoping he succeeds in the minors and we one day see him don the Blue Jays cap in Toronto.

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