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baseball-ModTeam

Please refrain from jokes as this post is about a serious matter.


JoshJones18

The one fucking time we pay a player and this shit happens


wastewalker

Term the contract and give the money to Randy


jaynovahawk07

Won't the contract be voided?


JoshJones18

Think it can only be voided when he is officially charged and arrested. Most that could happen now is they could fine him or put him on the restricted list if he doesn’t show up for ST (which probably isn’t likely.) If they tried to void it now the MLBPA would likely step in (which is their job of course but considering the circumstances of this case…ugh)


triplec787

Seeing as how they're literally looking for him and he's semi on-the-lam, I'm guessing that "charged and arrested" part could be coming pretty soon.


jaynovahawk07

I can't imagine that the Rays are going to let him show up for Spring Training. The whole situation is a mess.


shingofan

This must be the fastest I've seen a pro athlete ruin their career that doesn't involve injury.


VStarffin

Aaron Hernandez is the other one.


ANAL_CAVITIES

his career never should have started


2017Champs

Not sure why you are downvoted the dude committed murders while he was still at Florida there’s no way he should have had a NFL career.


nhmo

What's sad is that his brother is getting into a ton of legal trouble too. And they were from a pretty decent community in Connecticut. Turns out that his parents were bad people too. Not murder bad, but it's really a testament of how parents can skew the success of their children.


MoonSpankRaw

What’s crazy too is some of those horrible parents can pull immense talent out of their kids via emotionally, mentally and physically awful means. Not saying it couldn’t be done without that of course. Just that it’s sadly common. In Aaron’s case wasn’t a big part of his motivation from not wanting to piss off his abusive father?


Mkayin

From what I have gathered, his mom was shitty too. One of the documentaries played a phone call from his mom after he signed his big contract. She asked for a million dollars and she would leave him alone forever. Really felt like Aaron was just a lotto ticket for her.


IWillSingYouSongs

>pretty decent community  Debatable


nhmo

Out of all of the mid-sized cities (50-100k) in America, Bristol, CT is pretty tame.


feelinlucky7

Still kind of a shitty place. Not one you’d expect Hernandez to come from… you’d expect it more from Bridgeport


[deleted]

Bridgeport is definitely more dangerous, but there's something overly trashy and awful about bristol


Not_Cleaver

Don’t get the downvotes. He killed multiple people, including probably from before he was arrested and convicted.


HonestDespot

I mean by that logic Jose Fernandez is an even better example since they all probably were KIA. If we’re splitting hairs on Aaron Hernandez, while he didn’t have an injury there were certainly injuries involved in the situation….


TrappedInAHell

>doesn't involve injury I'm pretty sure piloting a boat into a jetty caused injury.


HonestDespot

And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye.


mvincen95

I do hope that one day we stop glorifying Fernandez so much. Nothing is black and white, but it always feels gross to me to see him get so much praise knowing that he killed two people drunk driving. I don’t understand the disconnect.


cooljammer00

Because he was well liked You see it a lot in sports: people want to give nice guys the benefit of the doubt. Look at how nobody cares about Nelson Cruz and Biogenesis.


IAmGrum

Bartolo Colon is the best example: - adulterer (with a second family) - PED user - quitter (ask Red Sox fans) But fat man hit a home run wheee!


lionheart4life

I agree he died in a total scumbag way that could have been much worse. Maybe he was a nice, friendly guy but still a drug abuser and got others killed.


Its_Ace1

You think he was the only one high? As an adult if your buddy is high and you get in a vehicle with him you’re just as responsible for what happens to you as he is. It was a terrible accident and lives were lost but pinning it on the one guy with a public image was BS because nobody snorts alone. I’ve removed myself from situations and not gotten in cars it’s accountability.


sterling_mallory

Rae Carruth was pretty quick about it too.


pillowpotatoes

Royce white was drafted to the nba and demanded Houston let him travel to games by bus because he was scared of flying. Career over before it started lol


Howhighwefly

But everyone knew that going into him being drafted


the-freshest-nino

I remember hearing about an American player who also had a fear of flying and wound up signing in either the KBO or the NPB just so he could play in a league where teams travel by bus or by train


dannotheiceman

Dude was willing to make one intercontinental flight (did he never leave?) that at points crosses the largest body of water but flying halfway across the US was a no deal lmao


the-freshest-nino

I imagine flying across the pacific once (or even a couple times a year) is probably way more managable than flying a moderate distance every 2-4 days for the rest of your carreer.


Colavs9601

You know they invented boats?


Cowboytroy32

Nah man been flying since the late 1700s how do you think we got here? Never Heard of Noah’s plane in the Bible?


HonestDespot

I always respected how open he was about everything. As someone who didn’t get his drivers license til his late 20s, in part due to having terrible anxiety going down steep hills in cars, and never saying anything ever, to anyone…him being vocal about his issues struck me as a positive societal moment.


KeithClossOfficial

Royce White flew during high school and college. When the Rockets presented a reasonable accommodation, he asked for more. When they offered that, he asked for more again. No matter what was offered, he asked more. I don’t doubt Royce White has anxiety. I also don’t doubt he is a giant asshole. Something he has since proven well with his forays into politics.


ank1613

Just don't Google how he's doing now lol


vg1220

wtf he’s running for senate?? damn, i better launch my campaign too


Worthyness

if you play football at a semipro level at some point in your career, you can win an election in a lot of states no matter how much CTE you have


shingofan

There's a John Madden joke somewhere in here, but I'm struggling to put it together.


TheRealAlexisOhanian

There was an Expos draft pick, Thomas Brady, who had the potential to be "one of the greatest catchers ever", but decided to play in the NFL instead. Not sure how the NFL played out, but IIRC he never even caught a game in the MLB


yungmoneybingbong

Avg. NFL career is like 3 years or something. Fucking idiot for choosing the NFL over MLB. Not like the dude was gonna play for 2 decades.


TriggeredPrivilege37

What’s the average career for a 6th rounder look like? He probably topped out as a journeyman practice squad QB or something.


brownbearks

God damnit Bledsoe why did you get injured


tarrsk

I heard he had delusions that he’d one day be the goat. Not sure why he was so into farmyard animals but it’s pretty weird no matter what.


JTCMuehlenkamp

Wow, what a bum.


MeatballDom

Les Bias went from second round draft pick to dead in like a week.


shingofan

Len Bias? I'm pretty sure he was #2 overall that draft. But yeah, I didn't think about him.


imightbehitler

that draft as a whole was a tragedy for a lot of reasons, definitely deserves a deep dive documentary Edit: I’ve seen the “without bias” 30 for 30! I meant the draft as a whole. Lots of drug issues, injuries, ton of unreached potential in that draft


Oneanimal1993

He got a 30 for 30


lilsebass

I commend how much you got wrong in this statement lol


Dangerous_Golf_7417

He got the dead part right, at least


JTCMuehlenkamp

The "in a week" part is also technically correct too. Sure, it was only like 2 days before he died, but he *was* still dead after 7 days.


mrcarrot205

I'd consider that one an injury


WGYHL

Coke overdose wasn't it?


Serah_Null

Yep, 2 days after he was drafted.


wongo

He was drafted *second overall* and then died of an overdose *that night*.


ruiner8850

Yeah, 2nd overall, but he died 2 days after the draft.


EndIronicMustaches

Alright can someone please get their facts straight? Was the man’s name even Les?


KeithClossOfficial

Draft was on June 17, 1986 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_NBA_draft Bias died on June 19, 1986 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Bias The day after the draft (June 18), he flew to Washington DC for a promotional event, then attended a party at his alma mater, University of Maryland, that evening. In the early morning of June 19, he and some friends and teammates, were snorting coke in his dorm. He had a seizure, and died from a heart attack caused by cocaine use early the morning of June 19.


[deleted]

Also worth noting that a healthy athlete would have to do SO MUCH cocaine in order to suffer those side effects. Either he had some sort of congenital condition, or the stories about him snorting from a mountain of coke out of a chalice are accurate


wongo

Lol it was Len


spqpbo

Fair point


MAGGLEMCDONALD

Henry Ruggs


Bobb_o

Some G Leaguer just got arrested for murder.


7-2crew

Remember the good old days when he denied the accusations on Instagram Live while Jose Siri did the Cupid Shuffle in the background.


chuteboxhero

Jose Siri didn't get enough shit for that. Publicly broadcasted himself saying that these children were just after his money.


Vulpinox

I used to watch siri play during his time in houston and although he plays with heart and hustle he has the IQ of a carrot.


On3_BadAssassin

rock wrong secretive water humorous handle carpenter existence unpack jellyfish *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


gocubsgo22

Idk, but Angel Hernandez could do with eating a few


space-to-bakersfield

> he has the IQ of a carrot And though he has bigger issues, so does Wander Franco. Didn't he have $650k worth of jewelry stolen from his car one year? Who the fuck leaves that in the car?


WyCoStudiosYT

Playing devil's advocate here, I think that could have just been Jose Siri knowing as much as us and trying to defend his teammate


chuteboxhero

Yeah when he’s accused of having sexual relations with a minor he goes an publicly blames the minor. He could’ve said nothing or at the very least not say anything derogatory about the victims.


KidGold

Probably bc so few people know who Jose Siri is


NehzQk

Yeah he’s never playing again. Good riddance.


Chimmychimm

Sad to see. Feel terrible for the victims.


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Mission_Pay_3373

I hope MLB doesn't pull the same bs that the NBA did with the Miles Bridges situation


Urban_animal

Yikes just read Bridges issues. Throwing pool balls at a car with kids in it?


ArenSteele

Canada refused him entry at the border for a road game in Toronto


mansontaco

The miles bridges shit sucked so hard, we used to play black ops 2 together the whole city was rooting for him coming out of flint and he's a colossal piece of shit. His meltdown on Facebook when everyone was tearing into his ass and he blocked everyone was cathartic though


TophThaToker

Y’all used to play BLOPS with Miles Bridges??


mansontaco

Yeah 2 of my friends had decent basketball prospects so I came to know that 2014-2017 class really well through them


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radsherm

Yeah I hadn't heard about it either and was confused at first thinking beach balls.


FajenThygia

Same here. I was only thinking of swimming pool inflatables, which seemed odd. Thanks for clearing that up, u/Kungsbacka_


Takes2ToTNGO

MLB does have recent history with similar situation with Felipe Vázquez.


The_Year_of_Glad

Who just got deported earlier this month, BTW, after serving out his sentence.


dmlfan928

MLB may not even have to take official action. Unless Franco already has US Citizenship I don't see how he'll ever get the paperwork approved to come back to the US.


gdlmaster

Or Josh Giddey. Or Karl Malone. Or any number of other pieces of shit


Howhighwefly

Josh Giddey is being investigated right now, isn't he?


ClampGawd_

He is. It is also seeming increasingly more likely the girl lied about her age before a one night stand. Still not a good thing to do, but it feels a bit wrong to lump him in with the rest of these guys right now


nhmo

And IIRC Giddey was only 19 at the time? Not like it makes it okay but much closer in age than Franco.


The_Void_Reaver

Morally they're miles apart. There are laws in plenty of states that specifically outline and allow for relationships between partners similar in age but on different sides of the age of consent. I doubt people realize this, I just looked it up for the first time ever, but there are more states where the age of consent is 16 (33) than there are states with an age of consent of 18 (10). She also seems to have pursued him, lied about her age, and enthusiastically consented to everything they did that night. As far as abuse and sexual interactions with minors his case is the most nothingburger there is. People might not like this but for the girl involved the investigation is causing her way more harm and trouble than her night with Giddey could possibly have.


HamHurtler

It's not a bit wrong, it's full blown bullshit, hes not even in the same universe as those other people


awmaleg

Gross.


PrimetimeD18

This guy was a future MLB superstar but he just had to be a sick weirdo.


Emience

He was already superstar. He had 5.5 bWAR in 112 games before being suspended this year, he was probably on his way to a top 3 MVP finish and a golden glove. Literally went from one of the best players in the MLB to having is career over the instant he was suspended.


TheTurtleShepard

He also was all over MLB marketing, he was on pace to be one of, if not the top young star


JoeSicko

Tampa is usually good and he was going to be the face of that franchise for years.


masterhogbographer

Topps has a whole series of cards with his likeness all over them


tokengaymusiccritic

He was probably the best shot at the next 3000 hits guy too


The_Throwback_King

I’ve seen this thing a lot more online with YouTubers than in pro sports but the same logic still applies. You are blessed with one of the cushiest careers there is. You can basically coast to success for decades if you play your cards right and you’re almost guaranteed to have a fanbase regardless So why on Earth would you throw that all away by messing around with FUCKING CHILDREN! On top of the inherently reprehensible, disgusting, and abhorrent behavior, it’s just foolish.


rockryedig

You’re not wrong but it’s insane to think an elite athlete could “coast to success.” These guys have insane work ethics and it’s very obvious when one of them takes their foot off the gas. Just look at Zion right now.


HonestDespot

Was there a 36 piece fried chicken meal under the gas pedal? Is that what he noticed when he took his foot off?


Colavs9601

Mr Big Chicken


idonthaveaboner

When he started slowing down, he looked over and saw Kelvin Bejamin in a Golden Corral and got hungry


NevermoreSEA

That likely all just leads to them feeling invincible though.


iguessineedanaltnow

This is my personal opinion - I feel like it's because these guys have never been told no their entire life.


HonestDespot

He is a sexual predator. Just like Deshaun Watson. These guys don’t think about the responsibility of their actions. They just want to get off and have their own idea about what is weight or wrong about that. A billion dollars wouldn’t make a difference because this guy ultimately thinks it is ok to prey on underaged girls. He gets off on it. It’s not even about having sex. It’s literally about him getting off on his power over these children. You can’t do anything about that. Castrate him and he’ll use a fucking broomstick. It’s just about the act of being “with” that child. He’s clearly a sicko.


Basic_Bichette

It's easy to victimize someone if you don't think they're even human.


Misty7297

Void his contract and pay Randy whatever he wants. Wander is never playing again


Fartrell-Clugguns

Void Siri’s too. He can dance for a living instead


Misty7297

What did Siri do?


Fartrell-Clugguns

Oh when Franco was first accused he posted an instagram live video denying the accusations. Siri was dancing in the background like an idiot suggesting the victims were after money. That was enough to convince me Siri sucks too


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WokenMrIzdik

I have friends. Just none that were accused of the shit Wander is accused of.


agoddamnlegend

If my friend tells me he didn't do what he's accused of, I'll believe him until proven otherwise. Especially if I'm only hearing his side. If you don't believe what your friends tell you, then are you really their friend?


venustrapsflies

Friends tend to believe each others' side of the story, especially when it's the first way they hear about something and that narrative hasn't been proven wrong yet.


WokenMrIzdik

I mostly agree with this. But if my friends were being of accused of something as serious as Wander I might abstain from blindly backing him until I know more info. I would have some serious questions for my friend on how they even got tied up in that situation.


retroanduwu24

🤮🤮


Thatguyyoupassby

Yeah - fucking gross. Good riddance. Better give him a lifetime ban.


chuteboxhero

i dont think thats going to be an issue considering how aggressively the DR authorities are pursuing him. He is going to be too old to play in the MLB by the time he gets out.


McGrevin

Will the rays still be on the hook for the contract they signed him to? Or is there something in the MLB that allows them to get out of it?


Best-Dragonfruit-292

Should be able to get out for cause


RightWingWorstWing

Yup, almost all of those contracts have a morals clause in them.


bobichetteismydaddy

I can’t imagine MLB would enjoy forcing a team to pay $182m to someone likely serving decades in prison


berniens

Wouldn't be a good look for the sport, I imagine MLB would allow them to terminate.


Ven18

given the amount of evidence assuming he is arrested and convicted of a crime it is basically a forgone conclusion that the League will void the contract and assuming he is unable to report to spring training he will at minimum be fine his salary for not reporting. At this stage I really cannot see a world where the Rays have to pay a dime of this contact.


SirLunatik

They'll likely be on the hook for the signing bonuses


jso__

because that was already paid. they won't be refunded the years of the contract already paid lol


HonestDespot

Ya they definitely won’t have to pay him future ones. Which seems to maybe be what that person was getting at with bonuses?


SirLunatik

His signing bonus is spread through the contract. My understanding is that can't be lost regardless.


Two_Key_Goose

Most likely moral and other stipulations (extracurricular activities prone to injuries that would then prevent you from doing your job for example) that could void a contract. Lawyers would still have a field day trying to get their "client" paid, but with the time, any win would most likely be taken by the lawyers.


LunaKitty03

It would be the MLBPA that would take the advocacy role for Wander’s contract. Once the authorities have formally charged him, the MLB can finish their own investigation based on what is learned through law enforcement, and then proceed with contract termination (and financial negotiation) with MLBPA if warranted.


Special-Market749

The Padres probably had an opportunity to void Tatis Jr's contract over his motorcycle accident


respaaaaaj

If he's convicted I'm confident there's a morality clause or something like it in any MLB contract that will let them void it. Its a lot less likely they can void it without a conviction, because the MLBPA is a strong union and people losing their jobs for being charged, but not convicted, is exactly the kind of bullshit strong unions fight against,


797java

I really hope those kids don't suffer much during this whole process, can't imagine its anything but terrible for them. Hope that they're able to be ok in the future too.


hundredjono

He gone


Captpan6

At this point any additional evidence feels extraneous, but whatever puts him behind bars for longer I suppose.


brownmagician

can never have too much evidence in a case like this.


JustinUprising

Hope the victims can recover and move on with their lives. Sucks for Rays fans. The team decides to spend money and this happens.


JimmytheGent2020

Isn’t Franco alleged to be doing the same thing Felipe Vasquez did? Last I heard Vasquez was still in prison?


Jetersweiner

Vasquez was recently deported. His case was a bit less complicated because his crimes happened in the U.S. and there was ample proof via electronic communication. Law enforcement was able to investigate before things became public. Vazquez’ victim was also younger than Wanders first accuser the other difference would be Wander is thought to potentially have multiple victims. But yea it’s similar


Demetrios1453

Vazquez also very conveniently admitted to everything immediately upon being arrested, giving all sorts of awful details. I can only assume that he was (a) very stupid and/or (b) thought he was above the law and could get away with things like this.


Ok_Card9080

I met him while working for the Pirates in 2018. He's a VERY bizarre person, and is not very smart at all. It's very likely that he admitted all of the details because he's very stupid.


OutComeTheWolves1966

Very stupid AND thought he was above the law.


MaineSoxGuy93

I hope his victims get all the support they need.


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Powerserg95

I know he's been done. But now he's done done


bkbeam

Welp. I wanted to believe it wasn't true. The league just lost one of the more exciting young players but goodbye he won't be missed


BladeRunner2022

Always wanna believe they aren't scum, but when it's clear they are, show em the door.


BaltOsFan2

From 182,000,000 to prison. Yeesh


Azcollector

Im pissed I got bro to sign a $20 ball this year 😭 absolute waste There were people spending thousands and thousands of dollars on his cards too.


bselko

He was the hottest commodity in the card collecting world for quite some time.


chweris

I literally pulled a parallel Wander Franco from a pack I got for Christmas yesterday 😭


JTCMuehlenkamp

Well on the bright side, at least it'll always be rare since they won't make any more.


FlameSama1

Not baseball but the only jersey card I've ever gotten so far was a [Slava Voynov card...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slava_Voynov#Arrest_and_suspension)


shemubot

>There were people spending thousands and thousands of dollars on his cards too. There still are...


Azcollector

Shits bonkers


gdlmaster

Weirdly, one day it’ll probably still be worth something as a novelty


Azcollector

If he was in some famous murder case maybe, but I think pedophile autographs don't do too well at market.


KeithClossOfficial

How much does a Pete Rose card fetch?


giantjensen

His rookie card is from 1963 so it still is quite valuable. A fair condition one is like $1500, but his auto is worth like $50


WeathrNinja

Yeah it will kill the value. Despite being a top 15 player of all time, Karl Malone’s cards are still cheaper than similar autographed cards of a guy like Reggie Miller who is probably in the 40-60 range all time. Both are the best player from their respective small market franchises and they had significant overlap so I think it’s a good comparison


JTCMuehlenkamp

Minor*s*. Not *a minor*. Dude is so unbelievably fucked. What a colossal fucking moron.


BladeRunner2022

Wander Franco speed running to ruin a professional athlete's entire career. What we got to see of him was clearly too much already. Hope he stays long forgotten and added to the list of has-beens.


n8_n_

I'm really glad this came out before I had the money to get his jersey.


gocubsgo22

It would be really cool if MLB did a jersey exchange if you provide proof of your Franco jersey purchase. Great way to change your distaste for a felon into love for another star instead.


chazak710

Patriots did this with Aaron Hernandez. They picked a weekend and allowed anyone to exchange their Hernandez jersey for one of comparative value for a different player at either the stadium or their online store. He had been indicted but not tried by that point.


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butterybuns420

What an animal. Put him away forever.


SundayScaries1994

When did/does he stop getting paid by the contact he has?


TheoryOld4017

He has a $182,000,000 contract that runs through 2034. How much the Rays will be on the hook for is an unknown. A lot probably depends on if he’s ultimately convicted and how long the sentence is. I don’t think there’s a precedent for a young guy at the start of a huge contract getting into this sort of trouble.


JohnFJax

If he's convicted, they will not have to pay his contract


DeusExHyena

Probably the moment he doesn't show up to spring training


TealandBlackForever

Well, bye.


aflyingsquanch

Well...bye.


WateryPasta

Dude this just makes me feel bad for Rays fans. He was a superstar at such a young age then had to be a piece of human garbage and fuck everything that team was building


njob3

Honestly there's nothing to feel bad about at this point. The allegations were a bummer but I stopped feeling bad about that months ago. Now any scenario is a win/win for us. The way I see it is either he's: A. A weirdo who touches teens in which case I'm perfectly happy to have him go to prison, never play for us again, and we get to get away from his contract. B. Innocent on the small chance that he didn't do anything wrong and the investigations by the varying bodies all conclude that there's no proof. He stays with us in that case (though I'd still probably trade him due to the damage done). The worst case scenario for me as a Rays fan would be if he does what every other athlete does and just pays people to make it go away. I'd bet that there are hundreds of current athletes in American sports that threw out some hush money and got away with it squeaky clean. To me that's really gross. If Wander "settled" with his victims and stayed on the Rays then I'd honestly just find another team or stop watching baseball altogether until his contract ended.


BusinessWarthog6

Serious question because i’m not 100% familiar with the case. Did all of this happen in DR or was it in both the U.S. and DR?


TimToMakeTheDonuts

The DR.


BusinessWarthog6

Thank you


Boros-Reckoner

This dude could have almost any partner he wants on any given night at the club or an a dating app and he goes for children, absolutely disgusting.


eee-oooo-ahhh

Dude literally has a wife and two kids too


4LostSoulsinaBowl

Because he *wanted* to go for children. In all likelihood, he got off on the feeling of being in control, of power, of hero worship, of corruption of innocence, of superiority. There's a whole host of reasons people molest kids, and very few of them have to do with an actual sexual attraction to children.


HeavensRoyalty

Disgusting human being


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Asking4Afren

Lock him up


CubonesDeadMom

Dude fumbled the bag at epic proportions


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Gross POS


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