Wander Franco

Judge Pascual Valenzuela of the Dominican Republic has ruled that the charges against Wander Franco have sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, per Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. That trial does not yet have a date set. Franco faces a potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

In August of 2023, investigators in the D.R. began looking into accusations that the Rays shortstop had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The age of consent in that country is 18. In July of this year, Franco was formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor, as well as human trafficking. He will now stand trial in relation to those charges, in light of today’s ruling.

Major League Baseball placed Franco on administrative leave in August last year when the accusations first emerged, standard procedure for players who are being investigated under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was reinstated for the offseason in a procedural move but placed back on administrative leave when the 2024 campaign began.

Players on administrative leave are still paid, but Franco was transferred to the restricted list in July. Per Recio’s report, his administrative leave agreement between MLB and the Players Association had a provision that his time on administrative leave would end if he were charged. Recio adds that Franco’s bail agreement doesn’t allow him to leave the country, so the Rays were able to move him to the restricted list since he can’t physically report to the club. There has also been reporting of a second formal complaint against Franco, though the status of that case is less clear.

July 10:  Recio further reports that in a Wednesday press release, Dominican authorities have indicated Franco will also be accused of human trafficking (in addition to prior charges of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor). The additional charge comes with potential for as much as 20 years in prison. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relays on X that Franco is no longer on administrative leave. The Rays requested he be moved to the restricted list and MLB approved their request. Franco won’t be paid nor will he receive service time while on the restricted list.

July 9: Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic have brought formal charges against Wander Franco, tweets Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. Franco is officially facing charges of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor, according to the report.

Franco has been on administrative leave for the entire 2024 season. He has not played in the majors since social media allegations came to light last August accusing Franco of having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl. The age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18.

In January, prosecutors claimed that Franco paid the girl’s mother the equivalent of thousands of dollars to remain silent about the alleged abuse. According to a Spanish-language report from Listín Diario, the girl’s mother is facing charges of trafficking, sexual exploitation and money laundering.

While prosecutors initially indicated they were considering charging Franco with commercial/sexual exploitation and money laundering, a judge lessened the potential charges against him to sexual and psychological abuse. Those charges come with a potential prison term of two to five years. The court gave prosecutors until July to determine whether to officially bring charges, which they have decided to do.

MLB is likely to wait for the legal proceedings to play out before levying any discipline against Franco under the domestic violence/child abuse policy. Administrative leave, which is not considered punitive, is designed to allow the league to conduct an investigation after players are accused of a violation. MLB and the Players Association have already agreed to extend Franco’s leave until the All-Star Break. It is likely they’ll continue to do so until the legal process in the D.R. is resolved.

Rays’ shortstop Wander Franco will stay on administrative leave through July 14, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. That will be the last day before this year’s All-Star break, which will run from July 15 to 18.

Franco has essentially been on administrative leave since late last year, when allegations surfaced that he engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor. A second complaint against Franco also emerged later. He was reinstated to Tampa’s roster over the winter in a procedural move but placed back on administrative leave when the 2024 season began, with an end date of June 1.

Major League Baseball usually waits for criminal proceedings to play out before rendering its own judgements and/or penalties. As such, Franco’s administrative leave is likely to be continually extended as long as his legal situation remains unresolved. Per Topkin, Franco is likely to be presented with formal accusations in the Dominican Republic June, with authorities having a July 5 deadline. While on administrative leave, Franco will not count against Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster.

Placing a player on administrative leave is standard protocol in MLB when a player is being investigated under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. It is not considered punitive in nature, and the leave is paid — though any accrued payments can be rescinded depending on the outcome of both criminal proceedings and potential discipline (i.e. suspension) following the league’s own investigation of the matter in question.

Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic initially brought charges of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering against Franco, with the laundering charges stemming from alleged payments that Franco made to the purported victim’s mother. Those charges were eventually lessened to an extent, with the latest reporting out of the Dominican Republic indicating that Franco is facing charges of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. He’s been released on bond and was initially required to report to court on a monthly basis. Topkin relays that the monthly check-ins are no longer required but Franco did not get back the $33K bond as he requested.

Back in November of 2021, the Rays signed Franco to an 11-year, $182MM contract covering the 2022-32 seasons. It’s not at all clear at this time whether Franco will ever return to Major League Baseball. If Franco ultimately faces criminal charges or a lengthy ban resulting from MLB’s own investigation, he would not collect his salary for time missed (including retroactive forfeiture of any payments made while on administrative leave).

Some of the details have changed in the case against Rays shortstop Wander Franco, per a report from Martín Adames Alcántara of the Associated Press. He was originally accused of commercial and sexual exploitation and money laundering in the Dominican Republic but will now face the lesser charge of sexual and psychological abuse.

Franco has been accused of having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and paying the girl’s mother to remain silent about the abuse. Per today’s report, Judge Romaldy Marcelino determined that the money could not be considered payment for the girl’s services because the mother requested it after learning of the relationship, which lasted four months. The judge said that prosecutors initially gave the case more serious treatment because “the accused is a professional MLB player.” Each of the original charges came with potential prison sentences between 10 and 30 years but the new charges could lead to a sentence of two to five years. Per the report, Franco has not yet been formally accused of the new charges.

The money laundering charges against the 35-year-old mother still stand and she remains under house arrest. Her name is being withheld to protect the identity of her daughter. Franco was recently released on bail after paying a bond of 2 million Dominican pesos, equivalent to around $34K USD. He is free to leave the country but has to report to Dominican authorities monthly as the investigation continues.

Though Franco is currently able to leave the Dominican Republic, he may face other difficulties. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic spoke to some American immigration attorneys to highlight some of the complications that could ensue. Primarily, the U.S. government could revoke his visa on the grounds he’s a threat to public safety based on the charges against him. That’s per Amy Maldonado, who serves as outside counsel for major league clubs but not the Rays.

“Barring a full exoneration in this case, where it comes out that this was all made up, I don’t see him very likely coming back anytime soon, if ever,” said Javad Khazaeli, a former prosecutor for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who now works in private practice. “The likelihood he would come into the U.S., even if he had a valid visa that wasn’t revoked, is minimal, Khazaeli also said. “If I was his immigration attorney, I would tell him not to even try. Then he would open himself up to being detained at the border (by U.S. Customs and Border Protection) and being put into custody here until an administrative adjudication of these claims.”

The attorneys add that Franco would be barred from the United States if convicted. Rosenthal’s piece was published prior to the AP report of the lesser charges but that conclusion would still apply if the new charge is considered “crime of violence” and punishable by more than a year in prison. In that scenario, it would still be considered an aggravated felony and result in a permanent ban from the United States. Franco has a five-year P-1A Athlete visa but Khazaeli says the burden is on the foreign citizen to prove they warrant admission. The Immigration and Nationality Act includes a provision that allows the government to deny admission to a foreign citizen if it determines there are reasonable grounds.

Rosenthal also looked into the possibility of the Rays voiding the remainder of their contract with Franco, but there’s no precedent for such a result. In November of 2021, Franco and the Rays agreed to an 11-year, $182MM extension that runs through 2032.

Major League Baseball is also conducting its own investigation under the terms of the MLB/MLBPA Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy. In matters relating to that agreement, the league usually waits until legal proceedings play out before revealing its own conclusions. Even if Franco eventually escapes legal consequences, the league still has the authority to impose discipline.

Franco was placed on the restricted list in August of 2023 as the accusations were first coming to light. He was reinstated at the end of the season in a procedural move but will likely be placed back there if the investigations are still ongoing by the terms the 2024 season is ramping up.

Rays shortstop Wander Franco was granted bond at this morning’s hearing in the Dominican Republic, according to multiple reporters (including Gus Garcia-Roberts and Carolina Pichardo of the Washington Post and The Associated Press). He paid a bond of 2 million pesos, equivalent to around $34,000. Franco is allowed to leave the country but he is required to report monthly to speak with officials as they continue to investigate allegations of sexual abuse and money laundering.

According to documents obtained by the Washington Post, prosecutors claim that Franco had sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl over a span of four months. The age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18. Investigators allege that Franco paid the girl’s mother the equivalent of thousands of dollars to remain silent about the abuse. The alleged victim’s mother was also detained and assigned to house arrest by the judge. (The linked articles have more details on the investigation.)

Franco’s attorney declined comment to the Washington Post. The Rays have not commented since placing him on the restricted list on August 14 after the abuse allegations were made public on social media. At the time, Tampa Bay said they “support any steps taken by the league to better understand the situation.” MLB has awaited results of the criminal investigation before deciding upon discipline.

January 1: Franco and his new attorneys met with prosecutors on Monday morning, as first reported by Listín Diario (on X).

December 28: Franco did not appear for questioning this morning, investigator Olga Diná Llaverías told reporters (link via Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN). According to multiple reports, Franco has also dismissed his legal team. Llaverías declined comment when asked about next steps but noted the investigations remain ongoing.

December 27: Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic officially summoned Wander Franco for questioning, according to a Spanish-language report from Enrique Rojas and Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. Investigators continue to look into multiple allegations that the Rays shortstop has had inappropriate relationships with minors. ESPN reports that Franco and his attorneys are required to meet with government officials in Santo Domingo tomorrow at 11:00 am.

The Rays placed Franco on the restricted list on August 14, one day after social media allegations that Franco had an inappropriate relationship with a minor received widespread attention. The National Agency for Boys, Girls, Adolescents and Family and Gender Violence Unit in the Dominican Republic opened an investigation later that week.

In late August, ESPN reported that two more girls had made similar allegations (although one of them had not spoken with investigators). At the time, ESPN wrote that there were two formal complaints. There is nothing to suggest that isn’t still the case.

The Rays reinstated Franco onto their 40-man roster at the beginning of the offseason, a procedural move that didn’t indicate anything about the course of the investigation. MLB is also looking into the allegations but seems likely to wait for the legal process to play out before determining whether to impose discipline. Under the MLB/MLBPA domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, MLB can levy discipline regardless of whether a player is criminally charged.

Investigators in the Dominican Republic are looking into a second complaint filed against Rays shortstop Wander Franco, according to a Spanish-language report from Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. ESPN’s Jeff Passan also wrote an English article based on Recio’s report.

According to ESPN, law enforcement first began a formal investigation on July 17 into allegations that Franco had an inappropriate relationship with a minor. A second girl subsequently filed an official complaint making similar allegations. ESPN writes that a third girl has alleged an inappropriate relationship as well but has not spoken with investigators. There are presently two formal complaints.

Passan writes that investigators have not yet spoken with Franco but hope to do so within the coming weeks. According to Passan, the investigations are expected to last well beyond the end of the 2023 season.

In the interim, Franco is away from the team. Shortly after social media allegations circulated on August 13, the team and player mutually agreed he’d be placed on the restricted list. MLB indefinitely placed Franco on administrative leave on August 22.

Administrative leave is not a disciplinary action or a finding of fact. It’s an agreed-upon portion of the MLB/MLBPA policy on domestic violence, child abuse and/or sexual assault that keeps a player away from the team while the league can look into the allegations. The player is paid while on administrative leave. The domestic violence/child abuse policy permits MLB to levy discipline regardless of whether a player is criminally charged.

The Rays have used Osleivis Basabe as their shortstop of late. The 22-year-old is hitting .273/.333/.409 through his first 14 major league games.