Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco found guilty in sex abuse case, receives 2-year suspended sentence
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MLB's Wander Franco Found Guilty of Sexual Abuse, Gets Suspended Sentence
Above: Dominican baseball player Wander Franco at his trial in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on June 26, 2025. Image copyright: Luis Tavarez/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
This two-year suspended sentence is a slap on the wrist, especially when the victim's mother got 10 years for trafficking. Both are heinous crimes deserving of equal sentencing. MLB's history of leniency —17 players suspended since 2015 — shows a pattern of shielding predators. From Mel Hall's 45-year prison sentence to Trevor Bauer's 194-game suspension, justice in baseball remains inconsistent.
Right narrative
Wander Franco's lenient sentence contrasts sharply with Trevor Bauer's MLB ban for disproven assault allegations. Bauer, likely targeted as a white player, had his career derailed despite no conviction, while Franco, a convicted pedophile, faces minimal consequences. There certainly is a double standard in baseball, where identity politics and false accusations unfairly ruin careers, yet proven crimes get a pass.