It’s been nearly two seasons since former Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco has played in an MLB game after being accused of having an illegal sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. And now, his career in baseball is all but over after officially being charged in the case on Thursday.
Franco once appeared to be an up-and-coming superstar, reaching an All-Star Game for the first time in his career in his final year in the MLB before his situation came to light.
Now, he will not only almost assuredly never play in the MLB again, but also face criminal charges in his home country, the Dominican Republic, for the incident.
According to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, after being found guilty in the case, Franco will face a two-year sentence for his involvement with the 14-year-old girl.
BREAKING: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic for an illegal sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl when he was 21. He received a two-year prison sentence, according to @JuanRecioM.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 26, 2025
After Thursday’s verdict for Franco came in, the MLB issued a statement, explaining that they will conclude their investigation into Franco’s incident “at an appropriate time”.
“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,” the league said in a statement obtained by ESPN. “We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.”
Regardless of whether the MLB decides to reinstate Franco at some point after this incident or not, his real challenge in playing in the MLB again seems to come from the fact that he would need to re-obtain a work visa to again work in the United States.
Given his criminal charges, obtaining that work visa may very well be an impossible task. So, at least until we receive further notice on the matter, don’t expect to hear much about Franco’s name in MLB circles for quite some time.