NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
An appeals court on Tuesday ordered a new trial in the Dominican Republic for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, convicted of sexual abuse of a minor, earning him a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Franco’s lawyers have been pushing for the 24-year-old’s conviction to be stayed and the sentence overturned. At the same time, prosecutors were seeking a five-year prison sentence for the Rays star player.
The appeals court ultimately ruled in Franco’s favor on Tuesday, ordering that a new panel of judges oversee his case.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco sits in court during his trial on child sexual abuse charges in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernández)
“The court understood that there were many defects, many omissions… many problems, and decided to send the case back for a new trial,” Tedosio Jáquez, Franco’s lawyer, said after the ruling.
Prosecutor José Martínez Montán, who is prosecutor of the province of Puerto Plata, maintains his position that the evidence from the first trial was sufficient to convict Franco.
RAYS’ WANDER FRANCO FOUND GUILTY IN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASE
“In a new trial, the procedures will be reevaluated. We won the case in the first trial and we expect the same in the new trial,” explained Montan.
Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having sex with a 14-year-old when he was 21. He also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor and human trafficking.
Dominican baseball star Wander Franco gestures as he leaves the court in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, June 26, 2025. Franco was given a two-year suspended prison sentence after being convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl. (LUIS TAVAREZ/AFP)
Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, the victim’s mother, was also convicted of sex trafficking her daughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was also granted a new trial Tuesday.
Franco transferred thousands of dollars to the victim’s mother to consent to this illegal relationship.
The last time the shortstop played in the MLB was in August 2023, before he was placed on administrative leave after allegations surfaced.
Now, Franco remains on the MLB restricted list, and his current conviction could make it unlikely that he will obtain a U.S. work visa and play for the Rays again.
Dominican baseball star Wander Franco gestures during his trial in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, June 26, 2025. Franco was given a two-year suspended prison sentence after being convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl. (Luis Tavarez / AFP)
He signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with Tampa Bay in November 2021, becoming the cornerstone to build on for years to come. The contract could have reached $223 million with a club option.
