The MLBPA doesn’t have much in the way of collectivist impulses. The NFLPA or the NBPA would likely follow the approach you describe, but I’m not surprised at all that the MLBPA took the position that this was a pool of money negotiated for players with less than 3 years service (or whatever the arbitration cut-off is), and whatever arrangements the players made with their clubs for the long term are their own business.
| Julio Rodríguez | $1,865,349 |
| Corbin Carroll | 1,812,337 |
| Adley Rutschman | 1,798,439 |
| Spencer Strider | 1,692,833 |
| Justin Steele | 1,673,331 |
| Kyle Bradish | 1,666,786 |
| Félix Bautista | 1,467,094 |
| Gunnar Henderson | 1,428,001 |
| Jonah Heim | 1,060,306 |
| Tanner Bibee | 1,016,931 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | 836,848 |
| William Contreras | 813,344 |
| Wander Franco | 706,761 |
No. And while I do believe where there's smoke there's probably fire with a case like this... I haven't even seen "warrant" much less "arrest" or "charge." I think people are largely right to suspect it's all over for Wander once it's all said and done, but... definitely not there yet.
The articles said the authorities went to his houses to question him about the case and left word that he needed to appear with his lawyer to answer questions. So not really on the lam, at least not yet.
This seems to be moving very slowly - 4 months since there was reporting a claim had been filed. I don't know how things work in the DR, but the pool of useful evidence for this sort of thing is pretty small. You'd have the testimony of the victims, digital communications (photos/texts), and corroborating evidence from third parties such as them knowing each other, or hearing statements the victims or Wander made, etc. There's not really a lot of "silver bullet" evidence that lurks at the fringes of these types of things.
So if they can't convict him of these allegations, I wonder where that leaves him as far as MLB and being able to play.
Isn't that a combination of how reticent the victims are to come forward and the location/country, both of which "favor" Franco v. Bauer.
I think the details are coming.
While this is generally true, I wasn't making that point upthread, nor opining on the strength of the case against Franco (there are no publicly reported facts to make reasonable guesses off of.)
We really don't know what the evidence is at this point, or even what the allegations are.
Again, we just don't know, as it really depends on the facts. If this is something that would be legal in under a Romeo/Juliet scheme in some jurisdictions, there's probably not going to be an enormous social outcry, absent allegations of violence or the like. If the ages are fairly far apart, or there are multiple underage victims, he's most likely just as sunk as Bauer is.
So he removed his lawyers so they didn't have to tell them where he is? That sounds something like a man with nothing to hide would definitely do.
I am, and on the one in post #325 that's just a closeup of Franco sitting in the dugout during a game. Guessing the sensitive content flags are AI generated, the bot just sees Wander's name, knows he's at the center of a sensitive content story, and goes scorched earth.
Gomez has been killing it on this story from the outset. I’m assuming his reporting is correct until proven otherwise.
If he’s not convicted, do the Rays still have grounds to void his contract?
Franco is on the restricted list for the time being, so they're not paying him and won't have to pay him for the time he's away dealing with his legal problems. If he somehow gets out of it and is free and clear to resume his career, I'm not sure there's grounds for voiding the remainder of his contract. The Dodgers didn't get out of Bauer's contract. They might have saved paying him while he was suspended but they eventually released him and paid him the remaining salary he was owed once his suspension ended (~$23M for the 2023 season). I expect it would be the same for the Rays.
Sex crimes are pretty much third rail stuff in the US. But even so, it depends on the facts.
I'm 1,000% in agreement. If we're talking young kids, he deserves whatever happens. If we're talking about a 19yo prospect hooking up with a 17yo, it's not as clear cut. I'll wait for facts before passing judgement, but it's not looking good.
If he's done, where would that rank on the all-time-worst contracts? $182M for 83 games in 2022 with an awful showing in a WC loss to Cleveland. Then 132 games in 2023. Arguably he helped push the team into post-season contention both years.
Contract heavily backloaded so he’s been paid very little so far…$8m total to date. Due another $2m for 2024. If contract gets voided, financial hit would be pretty minimal. If he gets released without contract being voided, then, yeah.
It's going to be pretty impossible to top Strasburg's deal after they won the WS in 2019, he got 7/245 and has pitched 31 innings total since then, 6.89 ERA.
I thought players only got paid during the season, so not in spring training or the offseason? I think that changed for the MiLB players, but I didn't think it had for the major leaguers. Service time would be the same right? If they put him back on administrative leave at the beginning of next season, wouldn't that mean he wouldn't get paid or accrue any service time ever again if they just keep putting him back on leave? I don't know if they can do that forever, but I this sounds like it's just a technicality.
Yup. Strasburg will probably forever hold that title but Rendon is probably up there. Similar contract amount and the Angels got 1 good COVID season out of him and then disaster 3 years straight. Never healthy and sucks in the rare instance he is.
