NEW YORK -- Jason Groome has heard all about the maturity and makeup issues that caused him to fall out of the top 10 in last months Major League Baseball draft. He insists they arent true.Now, Groome will have a chance to prove it.The Boston Red Sox beat the Friday afternoon signing deadline by reaching an agreement with Groome, a 17-year-old, left-handed pitcher from New Jersey and the 12th overall pick in the draft. Groome received a $3.65 million signing bonus, which exceeded the $3,192,800 slot recommendation by MLB.It was hard not to sign right away, Groome said on a conference call. That was between the Red Sox and my agent.Groome attended Barnegat High School in New Jersey, spent his junior season at IMG Academy in Florida, then transferred home and was suspended by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for not reporting the transfer, forcing him to sit out three weeks. He pitched a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts in a seven-inning game on April 11.Based on his talent, Groome was rated by many evaluators as a top-five pick. ESPNs Keith Law ranked Groome as the No. 2 overall pick on his pre-draft board, citing his size (6-foot-6, 220 pounds), sound mechanics and advanced curveball. But off-the-field concerns, coupled with lofty contract demands, contributed to his draft-day slip.After drafting Groome, the Red Sox insisted they had done their homework and were satisfied with his character. Area scout Ray Fagnant spent considerable time getting to know Groome, both on the field and away from it.With any player were considering at the top of the draft, we do extensive work on makeup and character, background, all of those things, said Mike Rickard, the Red Sox amateur scouting director. We did put a lot of work in on that end of it. Were very comfortable that we know who Jason Groome is.Said Groome: Theres nothing you can really do because its all he-say, she-say stuff. It did affect me at times, but once I got back out on the field, I just took all that into consideration. That was mainly my determination this year, to prove everyone wrong and really show them I can do this.At times, it just gets me so frustrated because I hear some of these people saying [things], these people never even met me and theyre just saying all these negative things. But once they meet me, they say how great of a person I am, and just a great young man.As they closed in on signing Groome, the Red Sox traded prized pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres for All-Star lefty Drew Pomeranz. Boston hasnt developed a homegrown starting pitcher since Clay Buchholz in 2007, but Groome and hard-throwing right-hander Michael Kopech might represent the best chance to end that drought.It will take time, though. Groome will begin his professional career in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, according to Rickard. Hes expected to move up to short-season Class A Lowell before the end of the season.Obviously with the talent, an elite talent like Jay, were going to be extremely conservative right out of the gate, Rickard said. Hes champing at the bit to get going, and we want him to get out there and get his feet under him, get him on our throwing program and certainly get him headed in the right direction as soon as possible. But I do anticipate that itll be a slow progression as far as getting him on a routine, getting him into bullpen settings and slowly progressing into games, hopefully building him up at a fairly good pace but certainly dont feel like were in any hurry to rush him out there until were sure that hes ready to go.Groome spent the past few days in Boston for a physical, his first trip to Fenway Park. On Thursday, he briefly met Red Sox manager John Farrell, who advised him to respect the game as he climbs the minor league ladder.Hes about to set off on a journey, Farrell said. If he treats it with respect, it will treat him the same in return.Information from The Associated Press was included in this report. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Cheap Enos Slaughter Jersey . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. http://www.cheapstlouiscardinalsjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-roger-maris-jersey . 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