Dominican court finds Rays’ Franco criminally liable but spares him jail time
A judge in the Dominican Republic ruled that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor, yet granted him a judicial pardon citing extortion.
A judge in the Dominican Republic has found Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. The ruling, delivered in Puerto Plata on Monday, confirms Franco’s liability but exempts him from serving a prison sentence.
Judge José Antonio Núñez determined that while Franco’s actions constituted a crime, he was also a victim of extortion and blackmail orchestrated by the minor’s mother. The girl’s mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the case.
The conviction will remain on Franco’s record despite the exemption from punishment. Full sentencing is scheduled for 16 June. Franco’s lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, stated that the team is awaiting the physical copy of the sentence to provide further details on the specific legal mechanisms involved.
“ When we have the full sentence in hand, we will give you more details,” Jáquez told the Associated Press. “He was exempted from punishment and we think that’s fine, but we need to have the sentence in hand.”
Major League Baseball is concluding its investigation into the matter and will impose a suspension under its Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. The league confirmed it is aware of the verdict and will conclude its investigation at the appropriate time. Criminal charges or convictions are not required for discipline under the policy.
Franco has been on the MLB restricted list since January 2024 and has not been paid or received service time during this period. He is in the fifth year of an 11-year, $182 million contract extension signed in November 2021.
The legal proceedings follow a previous two-year suspended sentence handed down in June of last year, which was reversed by an appeals court, leading to the current trial. Prosecutors presented approximately 600 pages of evidence in January 2024 alleging Franco had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl for four months and provided cash and a car to her mother for consent.
Franco last played for the Rays on 12 August 2023. He was an All-Star in 2022 and finished third in the 2021 American League Rookie of the Year voting. The longest suspension under MLB’s domestic violence policy is the 324-game ban given to Trevor Bauer in April 2022.
