The legal saga of Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has taken another turn. A hearing that was scheduled for Friday has been postponed to next month. According to sports law reporter Juan Arturo Recio on X, formerly Twitter, Franco's trial has been rescheduled for March 30th.
“The hearing for case #WanderFranco has been postponed to March 30 and 31, as well as April 1, to conclude the review of the case file on those days,” reported Recio on Friday morning. “The decision to postpone it was made at the request of the defense teams, as several of their witnesses were not present.”
Franco was convicted in June on a charge of sexual abuse of a minor, receiving a two-year suspended prison sentence. However, in December, an appeals court ordered a new trial for the Rays shortstop. Now, a revised sentence could be issued. While Franco's troubles will continue to drag on, Tampa Bay must continue to move on without a player whom they believed would be a long-time franchise cornerstone. How much longer will Franco serve as a specter over the franchise?
Amid his June conviction, Franco faced even more trouble. He was charged with illegal possession of a handgun as well. With his latest trial now postponed, Franco's fate is still up in the air. As all parties await the start of this next trial, all eyes will be on what verdict it will bring. While this saga continues, the Rays will certainly look to continue their separation from their former potential cornerstone.
