Wander Franco earns $700,000 bonus from MLB pool despite ongoing investigation

NEW YORK (AP) — Wander Franco will receive a bonus from Major League Baseball of more than $700,000 despite being placed on administrative leave in August while under investigation for an alleged relationship with a minor.

Franco will get $706,761 as part of MLB’s pre-arbitration bonus pool, a fund agreed to by the league and players’ association as part of their 2022 labor contract. The bonus pool was created to reward young players, most who earn at or just above the minimum major league salary based on how long they’ve been in the big leagues.

The 22-year-old Franco was having an All-Star season before being sidelined in August, when authorities in the Dominican Republic began investigating claims that Franco had been in a relationship with a minor. MLB launched its own investigation, placing Franco on the restricted list on Aug. 14 before moving him to administrative leave on Aug. 22. Both investigations are ongoing.

The $50 million MLB bonus pool is distributed based on a joint Wins Above Replacement formula designed to measure a player’s on-field contributions, and Franco accrued 4.8377 WAR, which caused his bonus to rank 13th among eligible players. The pool also takes into account MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year voting and selection to the all-MLB first and second teams.

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Franco was still paid while on administrative leave and continued to receive his $2 million salary. He also has a $2 million salary next season as part of a $182 million, 11-year contract that started in 2022. If he is suspended at the conclusion of the investigation, he would not be paid for the duration of that ban.

Before his season was cut short, Franco had been projected to get $896,755 in the pool, according to WAR calculations through June 26. Payments are due by Dec. 31. Franco’s two-year bonus pool total is $999,545.

He made his first All-Star team this year and hit .281 with 17 homers, 58 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 112 games.

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