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A decision has been made regarding the bail of Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who was arrested on Jan. 1 in the Dominican Republic for commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering.
“A judge has ruled that Wander Franco must post bail for 2 million Dominican pesos, about 35,000 thousand and present himself to court once a month for six months as part of the process against him,” MLB insider Hector Gomez reported.
The initial accusations against the 2023 All-Star- having a relationship with a minor- have intensified, with prosecutors accusing him of paying the mother of the minor in question in exchange for consent.
“The mother of the minor in the center of the allegations who’s accused of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering was ordered to remain on House Arrest and can’t leave the Dominican Republic,” Gomez said.
The heinous implication of the purported arrangement is going to have even more Rays fans, and people in general, calling for Franco's removal from the MLB. This is an active case, though, with a long way to go before a verdict will be reached. Tampa Bay is waiting on the league to conclude its own investigation before making a decision about the 22-year-old's future with the franchise.
The Rays signed Wander Franco to an 11-year, $182 million contract extension in 2021. Long-term investments are a rarity for the organization, which shows how highly management thought of the young talent. He batted .281 and hit a career-high 17 home runs in 112 games during the 2023 season.
Franco failed to respond to a police summons in December, which resulted in local authorities raiding his house in search of him. It remains to be seen if, and how quickly the Dominican-born baseball player will respond to this bail posting.
