TAMPA -- Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty on Thursday of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic and received a suspended two-year prison sentence.
In order to avoid serving prison time, Franco will reportedly have to meet several conditions set by a judge, including not approaching minors with sexual intentions. The decision can be appealed to two higher courts.
Franco, 24, has not played for Tampa Bay since Aug. 12, 2023, a day before social media posts surfaced alleging that he had been involved in a relationship with a 14-year-old girl that started in December 2022, when he was 21 years old.
Franco was then placed on administrative leave for the rest of the 2023 season and again to start the ’24 season. He was formally charged in the Dominican Republic in July 2024, at which point he was moved to Major League Baseball’s restricted list for failing to report to the team. Franco remains on the restricted list, not being paid or accruing Major League service time.
The Rays released the following statement on Thursday: “We respect the legal process in the Dominican Republic and believe it is important to allow it to run its course. We will continue to fully cooperate with Major League Baseball as it monitors the situation.
“Out of respect for everyone involved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time.”
Franco also remains under investigation by Major League Baseball, which can issue discipline under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
“Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues,” MLB said in a statement on Thursday. “We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.”
Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic filed charges of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a minor and human trafficking against Franco last year. The trial had been scheduled for December before being delayed until this month. Prosecutors had been seeking a five-year prison sentence for Franco and a 10-year sentence against the minor’s mother, who was also found guilty Thursday.
According to reporting from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Thursday’s conviction could make it difficult for Franco to secure a visa to work in the United States and continue his once-promising career in the Majors. In a 2024 story in The Athletic, immigration experts were quoted as saying that anything short of a full exoneration would make it nearly impossible for Franco to return to the U.S.
If Franco can’t acquire a visa, he will continue to remain on the restricted list without pay for failure to report to the team.