Wander Franco trial: Ruling, punishment revealed in minor abuse case involving human trafficking

A Dominican judge found Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. However, Franco will not see any jail time after the ruling.

This is because the judge, Judge José Antonio Núñez, also deemed Franco a victim. The minor’s mother has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sex trafficking her daughter. Núñez says Franco was extorted and blackmailed by the mother.

“We don’t have the physical sentence in our hands, but he was exempted from punishment because the president of the court established that he was also a victim and because he is exempted from punishment through judicial pardon,” Franco’s lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, said. “… When we have the full sentence in hand, we will give you more details. He was exempted from punishment, and we think that’s fine, but we need to have the sentence in hand.”

Franco was arrested back in January 2024 for his relationship with a 14-year-old. He was transferring “thousands of dollars” to the mother to make the relationship happen, according to ESPN.

Major League Baseball is not involved in this ruling. However, ESPN says they have been made aware of what took place on Monday. They even provided a comment, saying they will “conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.” Franco will receive a full sentencing on June 16.

More on Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco

Franco was an incredibly hyped prospect coming through the Rays organization. His on-field play matched it once getting called up to the Majors. Tampa Bay even offered him a huge contract extension, which was eventually signed. Franco was slated to make $182 million over the next 11 years.

However, he has not played an MLB game since Aug. 12, 2023 — a Rays win vs. the Cleveland Guardians. Tampa Bay placed Franco on the restricted list, cutting off payments for him.

Franco made his MLB debut at just 20 years old. He has a career batting average of .282, while hitting 30 home runs and knocking in 130 RBIs. Base running was a big part of what Franco brought to the table, swiping 40 bases.

Tampa Bay wound up making the playoffs in 2023 after Franco left the team. They have not gotten back there since, missing out on two straight years. However, 2026 is off to a great start as they currently hold the American League’s top record.