BALTIMORE — On the first day after former teammate Wander Franco was convicted of sexually abusing a minor, there wasn’t much talk about him in the Rays clubhouse.
Which was similar to most of the other 683 days since word first surfaced in August 2023 of the relationship with a then-14-year-old girl that, with Thursday’s verdict in a Dominican Republic courtroom, has derailed and likely ended the one-time All-Star’s major-league career.
Barring a successful appeal, Franco, 24, is unlikely to get a visa to work in the United States. He was 21 at the time of the relationship.
Several veterans who played with Franco and were willing to answer questions about him made clear they were not well-versed in the details of his legal situation beyond hearing of the guilty verdict. They said they didn’t have an opinion to share on the nature of the crime or his sentence, which is essentially two years of probation.
“I think, organizationally, we’ve done a pretty good job of just focusing on what’s happening on the field,” starter Drew Rasmussen said Friday. “We’re choosing to respect the legal process in the D.R. and let it run its course, as well as complying with Major League Baseball. So, I don’t really think it’s been on the forefront of our minds as players.”
Brandon Lowe said that’s mostly been the approach since Franco left the team, following allegations on social media.
“It’s not been a topic of conversation,” Lowe said. “I think it literally came up (Thursday), because that was the deadline the decision was going to get made. So, it’s not something that’s talked about much in this clubhouse. I think a lot of guys here understand that it’s not a decision that’s in our hands. It has no effect on us either way that the decision gets made.
“So, no one’s really focused in on it. And there’s still a lot of things that can happen (such as appeals of the verdict and an investigation by Major League Baseball).”
Franco wasn’t known as the best teammate during his time with the Rays. He quarreled with some and wasn’t close with many beyond centerfielder Jose Siri, who was traded in November.
Shortstop Taylor Walls made clear he didn’t know the details of the situation but said he would “wish the best” for Franco.
“Just any individual going through something like that, I pray for them,” Walls said. “I pray that they find peace, find a better spot, find a better place and come out a better person on the other side of it.”
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Similarly, Yandy Diaz said he hopes Franco learns from the experience and eventually can return to the field.
“That’s a delicate topic,” Diaz said via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “I’m not going to say anything else other than I wish, and I pray to God, that he gets out of (the situation) as quick as possible. I hope he doesn’t go to jail, and I hope that someday he’ll be able to play baseball again.”
Several of the players did acknowledge the amount of talent Franco had, which now may be wasted.
“Everybody knows he was unbelievable,” Walls said. “His hit tool was unbelievable. Defensively, he was getting better every year. He was very young. What could have been is — I don’t know that there is even a ceiling to put on it.
“So, yeah, it’s unfortunate, very unfortunate, that somebody of that talent, (there’s a) good chance he’s probably never going to play this game here again, I guess. I don’t know.”
Said Rasmussen, “How many other 20-year-olds are going to hit .300 at the major-league level from both sides of the plate? Play arguably one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball? Hit you 20 homers? Steal you 20-plus bases? From a pure talent perspective, he was incredible.”
The Rays issued a statement after the verdict saying they respected the legal process as it continues to run its course, are cooperating with MLB and wouldn’t have any further comment at this time.
Baseball operations president Erik Neander, however, seemed to say a lot when asked about the situation during his weekly spot with WDAE radio host Tom Krasniqi:
“Just a really unfortunate, sad situation. A disappointing situation. And our thoughts first and foremost are with the victim.
“Beyond that I’m not going to get into it any further other than to say that our focus, as it’s been for almost a couple years now, is with the players that are here doing what they’re supposed to be doing. And that’s winning games and being great teammates, good citizens and making this community proud. And we’re going to continue to keep our focus there.”
Draft rumblings
MLB.com’s latest mock draft has the Rays using the No. 14 pick on Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) High shortstop Steele Hall, then supplement-round pick No. 37 on Basic (Nevada) High shortstop/outfielder Tate Southisene and No. 42 on Lincoln-Way East (Illinois) High lefty Jack Bauer. FSU/Tampa Jesuit lefty Jamie Arnold is tabbed to go fifth overall to St. Louis. … CBS Sports has the Rays taking Oklahoma right-hander Kyson Witherspoon, with Arnold going No. 3 to Seattle.
Rays rumblings
ESPN’s Buster Olney’s midseason superlatives included the prediction of a Rays-Dodgers World Series. … Jonathan Aranda not even making the final round of voting to be the American League All-Star starter at first base despite the clearly best stats is just the latest of many reminders how the process rewards popularity over performance. … Hard to know what to make of the absence of updates on the potential sale of the team to a group led by Patrick Zalupski, but deals like this often are completed when things are quiet. …. An ESPN list of 50 players who could be traded by the July deadline and ranked by value to a new team had closer Pete Fairbanks 17th, with “best fits” as the Braves, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers, Tigers. Starter Zack Littell was 34th. … With the draft just weeks away, the Rays lost mid-Atlantic area scout M.L. Morgan, who was hired as head coach at Norfolk State. … To help combat the summer heat, the Rays are providing a free fan to season ticket members. … A video of a funny interaction between Diaz and Junior Caminero in the dugout led Diaz to admit with a smile last week via Rodriguez, “I don’t like people to be touching me a lot.” … With the Rays out of town, the Yankees’ Class A Tampa Tarpons team will get to play their July 4 game, and have an accompanying fireworks show, inside Steinbrenner Field. They have been displaced otherwise to the adjacent community field. … ESPN’s Dick Vitale, a basketball aficionado but also a big baseball fan, posted on X that “The RAYS are such a well run organization & KEVIN CASH is a terrific manager.”
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