The Tampa Bay Rays’ position players will have their first official full-team workout on Monday, but prized shortstop Wander Franco will not be there.
The 22-year-old is in the midst of considerable turmoil stemming from possible criminal charges in his native Dominican Republic after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy, which was the team’s deadline Sunday. He did not participate in spring training. – year old girl.
According to the Tampa Bay Timesthe team declined to comment on Franco’s situation other than to say that Franco had not reported.
Franco remains in the Dominican Republic and is unable to enter the United States as the investigation continues, meaning MLB may have to decide whether to put him back on administrative leave or place him on the restricted list.
If Franco is placed on the restricted list, he would miss out on the $2 million he was due to earn this year as part of an 11-year, $182 million contract he signed in 2021.
Tampa Bay coach Kevin Cash said the team was not caught off guard by Franco’s absence.
Franco has not played since August 12 following allegations on social media.
“We’ve been preparing for quite some time,” Cash said. “And we have to really focus on the players that we have here. We have a really good club and we want to see a lot of players, so that helps. ”
On Saturday, Franco’s legal woes appeared to be dealt another blow when it was reported that members of his legal team had chosen to walk away from the case.
The move leaves Franco with just one lawyer.
As for the Rays, backup shortstop Taylor Walls is out as he recovers from offseason hip surgery.
They let go of outfielder/first baseman Luke Lally last month and traded him to Seattle for Jose Caballero.
The team expects Caballero to be the starting shortstop for Opening Day.
Caballero, a light hitter, marks a significant departure from Franco, who had a great season with the Rays a year ago.
Tampa Bay could also look at top prospect Junior Caminero at some point.
But the fact remains that Franco was expected to be a cornerstone of the Rays’ future, especially after signing the largest contract in franchise history.
Franco is currently considering the possibility of abandoning his MLB career, and could face a sentence of two to 10 years in prison if convicted of kidnapping and sexual abuse.
Authorities have until July 5 to indict him.
He was originally placed on the restricted list in August and could continue to be suspended by MLB regardless of whether he is charged with a crime.
The league typically waits until a criminal investigation is complete before imposing this type of penalty.
