Wander Franco News: Rays star's MLB career reportedly facing premature end with potential prison sentence
There is arguably no bigger story in the MLB than that of Wander Franco. Once seen as potentially the future face of baseball, the talented shortstop finds his professional baseball career hanging on by a thread.
The Tampa Bay Rays shortstop is currently under investigation for an alleged relationship with an underage girl. He faces multiple charges, including commercial sexual exploitation, money laundering, and sexual abuse of a minor.
According to ESPN, prosecutors in his native Dominican Republic are accusing Franco of allegedly having sex with the 14-year-old girl when he was 21 years old. If the infielder is found guilty of the allegations against him, he could reportedly face up to 20 years in prison, ending any future in baseball.
"New with @JuanRecioM : ESPN obtained a nearly 600-page document outlining the prosecution’s case against Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who they accuse of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl," ESPN's Jeff Passan tweeted.
As the case against Franco continues, more and more details of the alleged relationship with the underage girl have been released.
There have been a number of twists and turns in the case, including the 14-year-old girl's mother allegedly agreeing to allow Franco to see her daughter in exchange for money and items.
Earlier this offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was able to post 2 million pesos bail, which equates to roughly $35,000, and can leave the Dominican Republic but will need to appear in court once a month for six months.
The girl's mother in the Wander Franco case remains under house arrest
The mother of the girl in the middle of the Franco allegations will not be granted the same freedoms that the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was given. As per MLB insider Hector Gomez, the girl's mother will remain under house arrest, unable to leave the Dominican Republic.
According to ESPN, in the 600 pages of documents released during the case, the girl at the center of the case said that her mother "see[s] me as an object to make money." The dwindling relationship between the girl, her mother, and Franco led to the girl coming forward on social media.