Former Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The charges stemmed from Franco's illegal sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl when he was 21. He received a "suspended" prison sentence, per Passan.
Franco, one of MLB's former top prospects who made his debut in 2021 and was selected as an All-Star in 2023, was first placed on the Rays' restricted list in August 2023 as investigations launched into his alleged relationship with a minor.
Here's what to know about Franco's reported prison sentence in the Dominican Republic.
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Wander Franco prison sentence, explained
Franco has been on MLB's restricted list during each league season since August 2023 as investigations into his alleged relationship with a 14-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic continued.
In July 2024, he was formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor in the Dominican Republic. At the time, ESPN reported that Franco was also being charged with human trafficking, which carries "a maximum 20-year sentence" in the country, while the mother of the 14-year-old girl was also charged with human trafficking. While awaiting trial, Franco was also arrested in November 2024 in an unrelated incident that took place in San Juan de la Maguana for an altercation involving drawn weapons.
On Thursday, Passan reported that Franco had been found guilty in the Dominican Republic for the sexual abuse of a minor, posting to X that the former baseball player received a two-year prison sentence in his home country.
However, Passan then also noted through ESPN's Juan Arturo Recio's reporting that the two-year prison sentence was considered "suspended," meaning that if Franco fails to meet the conditions set by the judge, he will serve the sentence. Passan wrote that the main condition would be that Franco "does not approach minors with sexual intentions."
Will Wander Franco play in MLB again?
Despite Franco's sentence being suspended, Passan also made it clear that the chances of Franco returning to MLB are slim due to his work visa situation. The ESPN reporter wrote that Franco's conviction will likely make getting a work visa in the U.S. "difficult," and without a work visa, he would not be able to report to MLB as he's currently on the restricted list.
Additionally, the mother of the 14-year-old girl in Franco's case, named Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, was found guilty of sexually trafficking her daughter, per Passan. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
According to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, MLB released a statement on Franco's sentence that read: "Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues. We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.”
As USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted, Franco's status within MLB is set to remain the same as it has been previously. The former Ray is still on the restricted list, "which will continue since he does not have a visa to be able to report to work for the Rays."
In 2021, Franco and the Rays agreed to an 11-year, $182 million extension that was set to take him through the 2033 MLB season. By signing the deal at age 20, he became the youngest player in MLB history to sign a contract worth at least $100 million.
It's unclear whether the Rays will attempt to terminate their contract with Franco moving forward. However, because Franco has been on the restricted list, he has not been getting paid by the team, and as long as he is on the restricted list, Tampa Bay isn't required to pay Franco's salary.