Everything we know about the Wander Franco investigation
-
Jeff Passan, ESPN
Wander Franco, the 22-year-old All-Star shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays, was placed on administrative leave Tuesday as MLB and law enforcement in his native Dominican Republic investigate allegations of relationships with underaged girls.
Franco had missed the past week of games after the Rays placed him on the restricted list on Aug. 14. He is being investigated by Dominican police as well as MLB’s department of investigations.
What does administrative leave mean? When could Franco return? And what do we know — and not know — about the investigations? We’re answering questions about Franco’s case so far.
What does administrative leave mean?
The designation of administrative leave is a significant but expected step by the league. Administrative leave removes a player from a team’s roster during an ongoing investigation into a potential violation of the sport’s domestic violence policy and can be extended indefinitely with the approval of the MLB Players Association.
Should Franco not challenge the leave, which is his right during the first seven days, the league could ask the MLBPA to consent to a seven-day extension of the initial designation. Following the first 14 days on administration leave, the MLBPA and MLB must come to an agreement on any further extension.
What do we know about Franco’s contact with the girls?
At least two girls have raised concerns — one publicly, one with law enforcement.
One of the girls, whose name and age have not been independently confirmed, alleged she was in a relationship with Franco and posted pictures with him on social media. Her Instagram account has since been deleted. Still, the allegations were enough for MLB to mobilize its department of investigations to look into the claims.
About a month earlier, a different girl contacted police to discuss Franco, according to Diario Libre, a Dominican newspaper. Prosecutors in Peravia, the Dominican province where Franco grew up, acknowledged that an investigation into him is open and being run by a unit that focuses on minors and gender violence. The lead prosecutor, Olga Dina Llaverias, is well-known in the country as a specialist in child abuse cases.
What is the status of the investigations?
The application of administrative leave implies that MLB believes it has enough evidence to withstand a potential challenge by Franco. When the league places a player on administrative leave, it takes a player off a team’s roster due to investigatory work remaining with regards to a potential violation of the joint domestic violence policy run by MLB and the MLB Players Association.
MLB has the unilateral ability to place a player on administrative leave. The player can challenge it, and within 24 hours, a neutral arbitrator will determine whether the league has presented “credible information” regarding the allegations or whether rejoining his team would cause “significant disruption.”
League investigators have attempted to gather information in the Dominican Republic, where the government’s investigation remains open. Another prosecutor, Angel Dario Tejeda Fabal, told the Associated Press that the case “is a very delicate topic because there is a minor involved” and suggested that this week they “might be able to give some of the necessary information without hurting the investigation.”
How do the laws in the Dominican Republic compare to the United States, and what could that mean for potential criminal action?
The age of consent for sexual activity in the D.R. is 18 years old. Unlike in the U.S., where age of consent varies by state and is further complicated by the so-called Romeo and Juliet laws that allow a close in age exception, the Dominican Republic’s law is firm. Any sexual contact by a person 18 or older with a person under 18 is illegal and can be prosecuted.
At the same time, in the D.R., criminal matters often are resolved more akin to civil cases, in which the person charged with the crime provides payment to the victim’s family, who then tells law enforcement they are satisfied with the outcome and would prefer not to further pursue criminal charges.
What MLB policies could be part of a potential punishment if the allegations are proven true?
The relevant joint policy defines three areas of violations: domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. The latter two, in particular, are pertinent to any potential Franco discipline.
Sexual assault, according to the policy, is committed through a nonconsensual sexual contact. The definition of sexual assault concludes with a pertinent phrase: “legally incapable of consent.” If Franco is found to have had sexual contact with someone under 18 — who, definitionally, cannot give consent — he would likely be subject to a violation of the policy.
Child abuse, which was narrowly defined in the previous version of the policy, was updated in the new collective bargaining agreement a year ago. In addition to the past definition, which includes “emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation of a child who is under the age of 18,” the newer one expands to “production, distribution, receipt, or possession of ‘child pornography’ … including any photograph, film, video, picture … where the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
To pursue a suspension in either area, MLB would need further evidence than what has been covered publicly.
What is the precedent for violations of the policy?
Since the adoption of the joint policy in August 2015, MLB has suspended 16 players. Punishments have ranged from 15 games to 324 games. That record suspension of 324 games, handed down to former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, was reduced on appeal to 194 games.
It’s far too early to know whether Franco’s case will mirror Bauer’s. But for a sense of the timeline and how long these sorts of cases can take, Bauer’s is instructive. He was placed on administrative leave in early July 2021. He remained on it through April 2022, when the league levied its suspension. Bauer missed the entire season, and in December, the arbitrator reduced the suspension by 130 games. Eventually, the Dodgers released Bauer, and he went unsigned in MLB, winding up with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan.
Nearly every other case punished by MLB’s policy falls under the domestic violence classification. MLB did not punish the closest analog to the allegations against Franco, former Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vazquez, because he was sentenced to two to four years in state prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl he met on social media.
-
Jesse Rogers
CHICAGO — Cubs manager Craig Counsell defended his decision to leave lefty Shota Imanaga in the game to face righty Manny Machado in the fifth inning of the San Diego Padres‘ victory in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series on Wednesday.
Machado hit a first pitch splitter for a two-run home run, extending the Padres’ lead to 3-0, the eventual final score.
A deciding Game 3 will be at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
“The results suggest that we should have done something different,” Counsell said after the loss. “Really just confidence in Shota, plain and simple there. I thought he was pitching well. I thought he was throwing the ball really well and, unfortunately, he made a mistake.”
The decision came after Fernando Tatis Jr. walked and then took second on Luis Arraez‘s sacrifice bunt. That created an open base. Counsell said he considered walking Machado but decided to pitch to him instead.
“Walking him wasn’t in my head,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “That splitter was meant for down in the zone.”
Counsell had righty Mike Soroka ready, but he decided against going to him. It was a curious move, considering the Cubs used an opener to start Game 2, purposely allowing Imanaga to avoid facing Tatis and Machado in the first inning.
That wasn’t the case in the fifth.
“I don’t put a manager’s cap on,” Machado said when asked if he was surprised that he got to face Imanaga in that situation. “I’m 0-for-6 at that point. So yeah, I’m not thinking about that. For myself, I was just thinking about trying to get to Imanaga.”
Said Padres manager Mike Shildt: “I’ve got my hands full with my own club. I can’t be thinking about anybody else’s strategy.”
The teams will play a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday. The Padres will start former Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish. Righty Jameson Taillon will take the hill for Chicago.
“I’m excited,” Taillon said. “As [Game 2] got going there, I started to get excited for tomorrow. You do a lot of work throughout the season for big moments. I’m looking forward to it.”
NEW YORK — Jazz Chisholm Jr. zipped all the way home from first base on Austin Wells‘ tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees extended their season Wednesday night with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series.
Unhappy he was left out of the starting lineup in the opener, Chisholm also made a critical defensive play at second base that helped the Yankees send the best-of-three playoff to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night in the Bronx.
“What a game. I mean, it has been two great games, these first two,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “A lot of big plays on both sides.”
In the latest chapter of baseball’s most storied rivalry, the winner advances to face AL East champion Toronto in a best-of-five division series beginning Saturday. It will be the fourth winner-take-all postseason game between the Yankees and Red Sox, and the first since the 2021 AL wild card, a one-game format won by Boston.
“Should be a fun night,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
Ben Rice hit an early two-run homer and Aaron Judge had an RBI single for the Yankees, who received three innings of scoreless relief from their shaky bullpen after starter Carlos Rodón put the first two batters on in the seventh.
Devin Williams worked a one-hit eighth for the win, and David Bednar got three outs for his first postseason save. Judge pumped his fist when he caught Ceddanne Rafaela‘s fly ball on the right-field warning track to end it.
Trevor Story homered and drove in all three runs for the Red Sox, who won the series opener 3-1 on Tuesday night behind ace lefty Garrett Crochet.
With the score tied in the seventh, Chisholm saved a run with a diving stop of an infield single by pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida.
“Unbelievable play,” Rice said. “That’s what you are going to get from him — just a guy who will give 110% every play.”
Story then flied out with the bases loaded to the edge of the center-field warning track to end the inning, and fired-up reliever Fernando Cruz waved his arms wildly to pump up the crowd.
“I almost got out of his way,” Boone said, drawing laughs. “There’s a passion that he does his job with, and it spilled over a little bit tonight. I am glad it was the end of his evening at that point.”
Said Rice: “I felt like I could see every vein popping out of his head.”
Chisholm also made a tough play to start an inning-ending double play with two on in the third — the first of three timely double plays turned by the Yankees.
“He’s a game-changer,” Judge said. “He showed up at the park today and had the biggest plays for us.”
There were two outs in the eighth when Chisholm drew a walk from losing pitcher Garrett Whitlock. Chisholm was running on a full-count pitch when Wells pulled a line drive that landed just inside the right-field line and caromed off the low retaining wall in foul territory.
Right fielder Nate Eaton made a strong, accurate throw to the plate, but the speedy Chisholm beat it with a headfirst slide as Wells pumped his arms at first base.
“Any ball that an outfielder moves to his left or right, I have to score, in my head,” Chisholm said. “That’s all I was thinking.”
With the Yankees threatening in the third, Boston manager Alex Cora lifted starter Brayan Bello from his first postseason outing and handed the game to a parade of relievers who held New York in check until the eighth.
Hard-throwing rookie Cam Schlittler (4-3, 2.96 ERA) will start Game 3 for New York, and rookie left-hander Connelly Early (1-2, 2.33 ERA) will pitch for Boston in place of injured Lucas Giolito. It will be the second winner-take-all game in MLB postseason history in which both starting pitchers are rookies.
Schlittler, 24, grew up in Boston, where he attended Northeastern University, but has said he always wanted to play for the Yankees. Early has made four major league starts since his debut on Sept. 9.
Information from The Associated Press and ESPN Research was used in this report.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment12 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024