On New Year's Day, Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was detained by authorities in the Dominican Republic. The shocking development comes after nearly five months of investigations into the 22-year-old.
In August, reports emerged that a woman who claimed to be 14 years old was claiming that she and Franco had been engaged in an inappropriate relationship. Immediately after these claims were pressed, Wander Franco was placed on the restricted list, and his likeness was taken down around Tropicana Field in St. Pete.
Per reports from Dominican journalist Hector Gomez, Wander Franco was dettained in the northern city of Puerto Plata. The news comes after video emerged of Dominican authorities raiding a residence thought to belong to Franco in his hometown of Bani.
"On wednesday, Wander Franco will be taken in front of a judge to be arraigned, according to lawyer @FelixPortes the prosecutors are expected to ask for wander to remain in Jail with no bail as the process continues" - Hector Gomez
Moreover, a piece in the Tampa Bay Times from Kristie Ackert purports that Franco will be brought in front of a Dominican judge on Wednesday, Jan. 3. It is not yet clear the severity of his charges, and what amount of time in jail the young Tampa Bay Rays infielder might be facing.
"Wander Franco was arrested in the Dominican Republic after an interrogation by the District Attorney in Puerto Plata, per @hgomez27. He is set to be arraigned on Wednesday following allegations of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor." - Yahoo Sports
Franco's seven-year, $182 million 2022 contract was the largest ever handed down in the history of the team. At the time he was placed on the restricted list, Franco was hitting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs. He has not appeared in an MLB game since the Rays' fixture against the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 12.
Wander Franco remains innocent until proven guilty
With his huge contract hanging in the balance, the Rays are probably unsure what might come of this trial. No more aware are the fans, who have already started to attach some rather unbecoming expressions to Franco's name.
In a season that saw cases against players like New York Yankees Domingo German pulled up on domestic assault, among other names, fans have become desensitized. That said, all onlookers must remember that the trial is ongoing, and nothing has yet been proven in this unfortunate series of events.