With Wander Franco officially a no-show, will Rays continue paying him?

ST. PETERSBURG — What would you do if you were Wander Franco’s boss?

Sounds like a simple question, seems like it should be an easy call. And, perhaps from the comfort of your living room, you’ve already decided.

But if you’re sitting in the owner’s suite at Tropicana Field, the fallout from the Franco investigation in the Dominican Republic is far from straightforward. It involves legal, economic, brand and moral complications. It could affect business going forward for the next decade.

And while the Rays have been mostly mum out of respect to the legal proceedings and a simultaneous investigation by Major League Baseball, they have already made some ancillary decisions and may be getting nearer to tougher calls when it comes to their All-Star shortstop.

The mandatory reporting date for spring training came and went on Saturday and, as expected, Franco was nowhere to be found. The Rays prepared for that eventuality by trading for infielder Jose Caballero in January and, more recently, signing free agent Amed Rosario.

So, from an on-field perspective, the Franco mess has already cost the Rays the services of outfielder Luke Raley, who was the price of prying Caballero loose from Seattle. Raley hit 19 homers and was fourth on the team with an .824 OPS last season and will make close to the Major League minimum in salary the next two years. In other words, he was a valuable commodity who became collateral damage from a roster perspective.

What comes next will be less dramatic but maybe more consequential.

On March 17, the Rays will again be able to move Franco off the 40-man roster. This will be a simple procedural move, but the details are important.

When the social media posts that prompted the investigation first appeared in August, the Rays placed Franco on the restricted list. This was announced as a mutual decision between the player and the club, and Franco continued to receive his salary. A week later, MLB moved Franco to an indefinite stay on administrative leave. This was also a mutual agreement between the league and the players association, and the Rays continued paying Franco’s salary.

Once the season ended, baseball rules required Franco be reinstated to Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster.

The question now is whether the Rays are inclined to continuing paying Franco’s salary going forward, including $2 million for 2024. Being put on administrative leave is not considered a disciplinary move, and so there is an expectation of getting paid.

But since Franco has apparently remained in the Dominican — and a judge is requiring the player to show up in court for one day at the end of every month while the investigation into allegations of a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl continues — the Rays could argue he is in violation of his contract by not being available and instead place him on the restricted list without pay.

In the grand scheme of things, Franco’s salary is roughly 2.5% of Tampa Bay’s expected payroll in 2024. That may not be worth picking a fight with either Franco or the players association.

But as his paychecks grow, that equation will certainly change.

Franco’s salary increases to $8 million (2025), $15 million (2026), $22 million (2027) and then five years of $25 million annually. If he’s suspended and/or legally prohibited from playing in the U.S. during any of those seasons, the Rays would not be on the hook.

If, however, charges are dropped or he’s found not guilty or his suspension/punishment ends in the next year, the team will have a decision to make.

Do you welcome back a player under those circumstances?

The Pirates were able to get out of Felipe Vazquez’s deal when he was convicted of sex with a minor in 2021, because his prison term exceeded the length of his contract. (He was also deported.) Trevor Bauer, who was placed on administrative leave and later suspended after being accused of assaulting a woman during consensual sex, was never charged. Rather than returning him to the active roster, the Dodgers simply ate the $22.5 million he was owed in 2023. No MLB team has since signed Bauer.

It’s not going to be that simple for the Rays.

On the one hand, they do not have the revenues to pay a shortstop up to $174 million (including a buyout of an option year) and not play him. On the other hand, can a franchise that has been vocal about social issues look the other way when it comes to a player with a potentially serious stain on his character?

Is that a moral question? Is it strictly business? Does it carry legal implications?

All of those have affirmative answers.

And, eventually, the Rays will need to weigh the ramifications on every one of those questions.

John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.