Wander Franco, a former Major League Baseball All-Star, will not serve prison time despite being found guilty a second time on charges related to sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. A judge in the Dominican Republic granted the 25-year-old shortstop a judicial pardon.
This decision overturned Franco’s initial conviction from June 2025, which had resulted in a two-year suspended sentence. The charges against Franco arose from a relationship he had with a 14-year-old girl starting in December 2022. Franco was 21 at that time.
The court acknowledged Franco’s criminal responsibility but also recognized that he was a victim of extortion and blackmail, allegedly orchestrated by the girl’s mother. Investigators had discovered over $100,000 in the mother’s home related to Franco.
Prosecutors had pushed for a five-year prison sentence for Franco. However, the court imposed the harshest penalty on the girl’s mother, sentencing her to 10 years for charges including money laundering and commercial sexual exploitation.
Reports revealed that the mother had used her daughter to extract substantial sums from the former MLB player.
Despite avoiding prison, Franco’s career in Major League Baseball has effectively ended. He had signed an 11-year, $182 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. Franco last played for the MLB in August 2023, after which he was placed on administrative leave due to the allegations. MLB later transferred him to the restricted list, halting his salary and service time.
Under U.S. immigration laws, this case likely qualifies as a “crime involving moral turpitude.” Experts suggest that securing a work visa for Franco to return to the MLB will be exceedingly difficult.
The Tampa Bay Rays could financially benefit from the situation, as they are not bound to pay the remaining $160 million on Franco’s contract if he cannot obtain a visa or return to the team. They may also consider voiding the contract under existing morality clauses.
An independent investigation under MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy is still ongoing. MLB had stated that it was waiting for the Dominican legal proceedings to conclude before taking formal disciplinary action.