Wander Franco's lawyers also file appeal of latest guilty verdict

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Jul 29, 2026

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — Wander Franco also will appeal the most recent trial verdict that found the Tampa Bay Rays All-Star shortstop guilty of sexual abuse of a minor but withheld punishment with a judicial pardon.

Prosecutors last week filed an appeal of the May verdict, arguing that the pardon “does not apply” for a “serious case of child abuse,” per the Dominican newspaper Diario Libre.

Franco’s lawyers on Monday confirmed to the newspaper that they also have appealed, claiming that the evidence presented during the trial was not sufficient to lead to a guilty verdict.

Attorney Teodosio Jaquez Encarnacion told the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday afternoon that they had no comment “because we’re working on our final arguments. We’re handling it according to the law.”

There was no date reported for when the Court of Appeal will take up the case.

The May verdict capped Franco’s second trial stemming from a relationship Franco, 21 at the time, had with a then-14-year-old girl from December 2022 to February 2023.

In June 2025, Franco was found guilty of the same charge and sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence, which is similar to probation.

Both sides appealed then, with Franco’s side also questioning the validity of the evidence and prosecutors wanting a five-year prison sentence. The Court of Appeal opted to order a new trial.

In reporting this week’s appeal filing, Diario Libre said that according to one of Franco’s lawyers, Irina Ventura, “in accordance with current procedural regulations, it is up to the Court to know the merits of the appeal and to issue a decision, without ordering the holding of a new trial.”

The pardon was granted, the judges said, because they also considered Franco “a material victim” given that he had been extorted and blackmailed by the girl’s mother, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Franco, 25, has not played for the Rays since August 2023 or been paid since July 2024, though he is still owed about $155 million on a long-term deal signed in 2021.

With the guilty verdict in place, Franco’s chances of returning to the majors seem low because a conviction for what is considered a crime of moral turpitude makes it unlikely he could get approved for the necessary visa to work in the United States.

The Dominican baseball federation sought to add Franco to its roster for the Central American and Caribbean Games currently being held in Santo Domingo, and he joined the team for a recent workout, but he was not eligible since he was not included on the preliminary roster.

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