A new generation of prospects who were once expected to grow into the best superstar in the Major League is virtually on the verge of ending their career.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was listed on the “Restricted List” on the 11th (Korea time). The Tampa Bay club took the action a day after Dominican Republic prosecutors indicted Franco on three charges, including sexual intercourse with minors, on the 10th.
Up until now, Franco was on administrative leave. The agreement between the MLB and the MLB players’ union states that when a player is indicted, the annual leave for administrative leave will be lifted. In other words, while a player is a restricted player, not only will he not be paid, but his service hours will also be suspended.
According to ESPN and other foreign media, the Dominican Republic’s prosecution investigated Franco for more than six months and charged him with sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of minors, and human trafficking. ESPN predicted that if convicted, he will face up to 20 years in prison.
Aside from the prosecution’s indictment, MLB is investigating the case against Franco. MLB cannot take any disciplinary action until Franco is found guilty or not guilty. Given that there is a high possibility of guilt, however, it is expected that severe punishment will be inevitable in accordance with the joint rules between MLB and the players’ union on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
“We are aware of the indictment against Franco. Our investigation is ongoing and we will monitor the matter as closely as possible while monitoring the progress,” MLB said in a statement. 토토사이트
According to records obtained by ESPN early this year, Franco, who was born in March 2001, started a relationship with a 14-year-old girl at the age of 21, and prosecutors believe that Franco gave her a new car by paying her mother 1,700 dollars every month. Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic have charged her with money laundering.
Franco’s annual salary this season is $2 million, and $550,000 has already been paid. He made headlines by signing a long-term contract worth $182 million (about 251.9 billion won) for 11 years in November 2021, just over the age of 20. Franco, who appeared splendidly in his Major League debut match against the Boston Red Sox on June 23, 2021, hit a three-run homer to the left from Eduardo Rodriguez in the bottom of the fifth inning, appeared in just 70 games that year, hitting a batting average of 0.88, seven homers, 39 RBIs, 53 points, and an OPS of 0.810, making him ranked third in the AL Rookie of the Year vote. Inspired by this, Tampa Bay expected an early-term investment of 11 years even though it was a small market club.
However, Franco has not been able to perform properly since then due to injuries and legal issues. In 2022, he took a break due to a thigh injury in the first half of the year, and immediately suffered a wrist injury, which forced him to return to the final days of the season after two months of rehabilitation. He had a batting average of 0.277 and six homers in 83 games that year. In mid-August last year, he was ordered to take administrative leave after allegations arose that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor through SNS.