Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was scheduled to stand trial for sexual abuse, sexual exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking on Thursday. According to ESPN, only three of the 36 witnesses showed up in the courtroom in the Dominican Republic. Juan Recio reported that the new trial date is June 2, 2025.

“Of the 36 witnesses scheduled to testify, only three were present in the courtroom in Puerto Plata on Thursday. Dominican judge Yacaira Veras postponed the hearing at the request of prosecutors,” Recio wrote. “Franco's lawyers asked the court to reconsider the postponement, arguing Franco must report to spring training in mid-February.”

Franco went on indefinite administrative leave when the allegations arose in August 2023. He was moved to the restricted list in 2024 when the charges became official. The original allegations stemmed from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a then-14-year-old girl.

While waiting for this trial, Franco landed in more hot water. He was arrested for possession of a firearm and faces weapons charges for the incident.

Wander Franco not factoring into the Rays' future plans

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The Rays have a lot more issues than Wander Franco's trial to worry about. The roof of their stadium was ripped off in Hurricane Milton and they are playing at Steinbrenner Field this season. Their new stadium has hit political issues after the storm as well. Their future in Tampa is up in the air, as is the future of their shortstop.

While the Rays may not be thinking about Franco right now, his contract situation is unavoidable. After just 70 games in the majors, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract. It is the largest contract in Rays' history but he has hardly played any games on it. His contract is about to tick up in salary as well, going over $15 million in salary in 2026.

This chapter of the Wander Franco saga is on pause until at least June.