A third girl now comes forward to accuse Wander Franco
Trouble comes not single spies but in battalions, and the Tampa Bay shortstop is now under a barrage of accusations over inappropriate relations with minors.
This has been a long fortnight for Wander Franco. It started with internet rumors three weeks ago suggesting a salacious relationship with a 14-year-old girl in his native Dominican Republic.
Just days later, a second woman filed a lawsuit claiming that she had a relationship with the 22-year-old Franco when she was just 17. The age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18. The league began their investigation and ordered the Rays to place Franco on administrative leave.
Franco took to Instagram to refute both claims, posting a video saying, “They’re saying I got with a young girl, that I’m running around with a minor out there. How crazy is that, dude? People don’t know what to do with their time.”
Franco was signed to a $182 million, 11-year contract by the Rays in November 2021. He made his first All-Star team this season and is hitting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs. It is clear that Franco and his Dominican team mate Jose Siri believe that this is simply a ploy to earn easy money off the player.
In the Instagram video, Franco goes on to say, “I’m just here focused, doing my thing, thank God. That’s why I prefer to not get involved with anybody because people are so gossipy.” José Siri walked into the frame, shouting, “It’s just people after money.”
Now the Diario Libre, a newspaper in the Dominican Republic, has reported that a special prosecutor is investigating a formal complaint made by a third woman, alleging that she too had a relationship with Franco whilst underage.
Major League Baseball is investigating the circumstances as well as the Dominican authorities. It is worth noting that it is not necessary for criminal charges to be filed for the league to suspend Franco.