Will not resolve until either a game is played or the end of the season. (So if a suspension is announced it will remain open because of the appeals process)
“Barring a full exoneration in this case, where it comes out that this was all made up, I don’t see him very likely coming back anytime soon, if ever,” Khazaeli told The Athletic. “The likelihood he would come into the U.S., even if he had a valid visa that wasn’t revoked, is minimal.
“To be honest, if I was his immigration attorney, I would tell him not to even try. Then he would open himself up to being detained at the border (by U.S. Customs and Border Protection) and being put into custody here until an administrative adjudication of these claims.”
If Franco were unable to enter the country by Opening Day, the Rays would be forced to place him on the restricted list, barring him from pay. Franco was placed on administrative leave by the Rays in August 2023 after first being alerted to the relationship.
A conviction in his Dominican Republic case would be an aggravated felony under U.S. immigration law, leading to a permanent ban. Therefore, Franco would need to forfeit the remaining $174 million of his 11-year, $182 million contract he signed with Tampa Bay in November 2021.
Franco doesn’t need a full conviction to be permanently barred, either. Franco could still be convicted of a lesser crime, but a “crime of violence” involving a minor punishable by more than a year in prison would still result in a permanent U.S. ban. A legal clearing may still result in a league suspension under the MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. This allows Commissioner Rob Manfred to suspend players even when they are not charged or convicted.
https://deadspin.com/wander-franco-tampa-bay-rays-investigation-visa-dr-usa-1851151806
Not looking good. Police in the DR conducted raids and are looking for him: https://listindiario.com/el-deporte/beisbol/20231226/autoridades-allanan-dos-viviendas-busqueda-pelotero-dominicano-wander-franco_788495.html