Judge finds – A Dominican judge ruled Monday that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor, but exempted him from punishment. Franco left court saying, “I feel calm,” as the full sentencing is set fo
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — The courtroom decision landed with a thud, even before the details were absorbed by the people waiting for them.
Wander Franco, the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop, was declared criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. Yet Judge José Antonio Núñez ruled that Franco would not serve a sentence.
In his decision, Núñez said Franco had been the victim of extortion and blackmail by the minor’s mother. That mother, according to the ruling, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter.
Franco was arrested in January 2024. Prosecutors had accused him of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to the girl’s mother to obtain consent for an illegal relationship.
When the ruling was issued, Franco left the courthouse alongside his lawyer, Teodosio Jaquez, and briefly spoke to reporters. He told them, “I feel calm,” then asked his fans to “continue supporting me and trusting in me.”
Franco also said he personally had not contacted the Rays, adding that his lawyers surely had.
Major League Baseball, in a statement, acknowledged the day’s decision and said, “We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.”
His attorney, Teodosio Jáquez, described what happened in legal terms. “We don’t have the physical sentence in our hands,” he said. He added that Franco was exempted from punishment because the president of the court established that he was also a victim. and because he was exempted through judicial pardon.
The full sentencing is scheduled for June 16. Jáquez said he would provide more details once the complete document is received. “When we have the full sentence in hand, we will give you more details,” he said. “He was exempted from punishment and we think that’s fine, but we need to have the sentence in hand.”.
Long before Monday’s ruling, Franco’s situation started to unravel. In November 2021, he signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays. His career was upended after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced in August 2023 that they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. At the time, Franco was 22.
Six months after his arrest, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list. That move cut off the pay he had been receiving while he was on administrative leave.
The sequence of events now leaves the same question hanging in the air: how a finding of criminal responsibility can coexist with the absence of punishment. What the court ruled on Monday. and what still must be delivered in full by June 16. will likely decide what happens next for Franco’s future—both inside and outside baseball.
Wander Franco Tampa Bay Rays Dominican Republic judge criminally responsible judicial pardon restricted list sexual and psychological abuse Puerto Plata Teodosio Jáquez Major League Baseball investigation