A legal process that began more than two years ago finally reached its conclusion on Monday, when a judge in the Dominican Republic found Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor — but declined to sentence him to any jail time.
"It seems contradictory to declare criminal responsibility and, at the same time, exempt him from punishment. The court has granted Wander Franco a judicial pardon due to the particular circumstances that made him a material victim, but not a legal one," judge José Antonio Núñez said in his decision, according to ESPN.
Those circumstances revolve around the mother of the minor with whom Franco was accused of conducting a sexual relationship, with the court sentencing her to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter. But while Franco may have avoided time in jail, and while he may be considered a victim in some sense in the eyes of the law, that's still a far cry from what he needs to have any chance of appearing on an MLB field again.
The Wander Franco verdict, explained
It might seem contradictory for Franco to be found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a minor — a girl who was just 14 years old at the time — and yet also to be allowed to walk free. But while Franco and his legal team acted as though they were acquitted of wrongdoing, it's really more of a technicality than anything.
Núñez has argued that, because Franco was extorted in the process of engaging in the relationship, that he's somehow less criminally liable for said relationship. But even if we take that decision at its word, the fact remains that Franco willingly and consensually engaged in a relationship with a 14-year-old. Nothing the court ruled on Monday changes that fact, or puts Franco's decision-making in a different light. And unless that changes, there's nothing to suggest that MLB or the Rays will give any thought to welcoming him back into the league.
Wander Franco's legal status doesn't mean much for his hopes of an MLB return
Franco hasn't even been disciplined by Major League Baseball yet; in a statement on Monday, the league said that they "will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time". Exactly when that might be remains an open question, but until it does, Franco is on the Restricted List, where he was placed when word first broke of the relationship on social media back in 2023. That means the shortstop is ineligible to play or see any more money from the 11-year, $182 million contract he signed with Tampa in November of 2021.
Technically, the Rays are free to take him off of the Restricted List at any time. But they have no intention of doing so — and even if they did, Rob Manfred would surely step in and prevent it. Again, the facts of the case are not actually in dispute: Nothing about Monday's ruling suggests that Franco didn't actually do what he was accused of doing. And what he was accused of doing is so heinous that simply suspending him for a year or two won't be enough, either for baseball fans or for the players who have to share a clubhouse or a field with him.
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