A Dominican court ruled Monday that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. However, despite the finding, he will not serve a prison sentence.
Judge José Antonio Núñez determined that Franco had also been the victim of extortion and blackmail by the minor’s mother. The woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of trafficking her daughter for sexual exploitation.
Franco was arrested in January 2024 following allegations that he maintained a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl and transferred thousands of dollars to her mother in exchange for consent to the illegal relationship.
After the ruling, Franco exited the courthouse alongside his attorney, Teodosio Jáquez, and briefly addressed reporters.
“I feel calm,” Franco said, while also asking fans to “continue supporting me and trusting in me.”
The 24-year-old added that he had not personally communicated with the Rays organization following the verdict, although he believed his legal team had done so.
In response to the decision, Major League Baseball released a statement saying:
“We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.”
Jáquez explained that the court granted Franco a judicial pardon despite finding him criminally responsible.
“We do not yet have the written sentence in our possession, but he was exempted from punishment because the presiding judge concluded that he was also a victim,” the attorney said. “The exemption was granted through judicial pardon.”
The full written ruling is expected to be released on June 16.
Franco’s baseball career has remained on hold since allegations first surfaced in 2023. In November 2021, he signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, but his future became uncertain when Dominican authorities launched an investigation into his alleged relationship with a minor.
Six months after his arrest, the Rays placed Franco on the restricted list, ending the salary payments he had continued to receive while on administrative leave. The outcome of MLB’s ongoing investigation is expected to play a significant role in determining whether Franco will have any future in professional baseball.
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