The traditionally spendthrift Tampa Bay Rays made a massive investment in shortstop Wander Franco in 2021, signing him to an 11-year, $182 million deal. Now, it looks like that investment was a poor one. On Thursday, Franco was found guilty in a sexual abuse case in the Dominican Republic and received a two-year suspended sentence. A panel of three judges ruled unanimously that, when he was 21, Franco manipulated a 14-year-old girl into a four-month relationship and paid the girl’s mother thousands of dollars. Judge Jakayra Veras García dressed Franco down: “If you don’t like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.” Since authorities in the Dominican Republic announced that they were investigating Franco in 2023, the shortstop has been on the league’s restricted list, which prevents him from playing or collecting any of the pay from his contract. Though he escaped jail time, Franco is likely to find it difficult to secure a work visa to return to the United States—and faces potential disciplinary action from MLB. The former top prospect may have played his last game in American pro baseball.
Read it at NBC News
