Barring a successful appeal, Franco, 24, is unlikely to get a visa<\/a> to work in the United States. He was 21 at the time of the relationship.<\/p>\n Several veterans who played with Franco and were willing to answer questions about him made clear they were not well-versed in the details of his legal situation beyond hearing of the guilty verdict. They said they didn\u2019t have an opinion to share on the nature of the crime or his sentence, which is essentially two years of probation.<\/p>\n \u201cI think, organizationally, we\u2019ve done a pretty good job of just focusing on what\u2019s happening on the field,\u201d starter Drew Rasmussen said Friday. \u201cWe\u2019re choosing to respect the legal process in the D.R. and let it run its course, as well as complying with Major League Baseball. So, I don\u2019t really think it\u2019s been on the forefront of our minds as players.\u201d<\/p>\n Brandon Lowe said that\u2019s mostly been the approach since Franco left the team, following allegations on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not been a topic of conversation,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cI think it literally came up (Thursday), because that was the deadline the decision was going to get made. So, it\u2019s not something that\u2019s talked about much in this clubhouse. I think a lot of guys here understand that it\u2019s not a decision that\u2019s in our hands. It has no effect on us either way that the decision gets made. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, no one\u2019s really focused in on it. And there\u2019s still a lot of things that can happen (such as appeals of the verdict and an investigation by Major League Baseball).\u201d<\/p>\n Franco wasn\u2019t known as the best teammate during his time with the Rays. He quarreled with some<\/a> and wasn\u2019t close with many beyond centerfielder Jose Siri, who was traded in November.<\/p>\n Shortstop Taylor Walls made clear he didn\u2019t know the details of the situation but said he would \u201cwish the best\u201d for Franco. <\/p>\n \u201cJust any individual going through something like that, I pray for them,\u201d Walls said. \u201cI pray that they find peace, find a better spot, find a better place and come out a better person on the other side of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay updated on Tampa Bay\u2019s sports scene<\/p>\n Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter<\/p>\n We\u2019ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida\u2019s college football teams every day.<\/p>\n You\u2019re all signed\u00a0up!<\/p>\n Want more of our free, weekly newsletters\u00a0in\u00a0your\u00a0inbox? Let\u2019s\u00a0get\u00a0started.<\/p>\n Explore all your options<\/a><\/p>\n Similarly, Yandy Diaz said he hopes Franco learns from the experience and eventually can return to the field.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a delicate topic,\u201d Diaz said via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. \u201cI\u2019m not going to say anything else other than I wish, and I pray to God, that he gets out of (the situation) as quick as possible. I hope he doesn\u2019t go to jail, and I hope that someday he\u2019ll be able to play baseball again.\u201d<\/p>\n Several of the players did acknowledge the amount of talent Franco had, which now may be wasted.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody knows he was unbelievable,\u201d Walls said. \u201cHis hit tool was unbelievable. Defensively, he was getting better every year. He was very young. What could have been is \u2014 I don\u2019t know that there is even a ceiling to put on it. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, yeah, it\u2019s unfortunate, very unfortunate, that somebody of that talent, (there\u2019s a) good chance he\u2019s probably never going to play this game here again, I guess. I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Rasmussen, \u201cHow many other 20-year-olds are going to hit .300 at the major-league level from both sides of the plate? Play arguably one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball? Hit you 20 homers? Steal you 20-plus bases? From a pure talent perspective, he was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rays issued a statement after the verdict saying they respected the legal process as it continues to run its course, are cooperating with MLB and wouldn\u2019t have any further comment at this time.<\/p>\n Baseball operations president Erik Neander, however, seemed to say a lot when asked about the situation during his weekly spot with WDAE<\/a> radio host Tom Krasniqi:<\/p>\n \u201cJust a really unfortunate, sad situation. A disappointing situation. And our thoughts first and foremost are with the victim.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond that I\u2019m not going to get into it any further other than to say that our focus, as it\u2019s been for almost a couple years now, is with the players that are here doing what they\u2019re supposed to be doing. And that\u2019s winning games and being great teammates, good citizens and making this community proud. And we\u2019re going to continue to keep our focus there.\u201d<\/p>\n Draft rumblings<\/p>\n MLB.com\u2019s latest mock draft <\/a>has the Rays using the No. 14 pick on Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) High shortstop Steele Hall, then supplement-round pick No. 37 on Basic (Nevada) High shortstop\/outfielder Tate Southisene and No. 42 on Lincoln-Way East (Illinois) High lefty Jack Bauer. FSU\/Tampa Jesuit lefty Jamie Arnold is tabbed to go fifth overall to St. Louis. … CBS Sports<\/a> has the Rays taking Oklahoma right-hander Kyson Witherspoon, with Arnold going No. 3 to Seattle.<\/p>\n Rays rumblings<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Buster Olney\u2019s midseason superlatives included the prediction of a Rays-Dodgers World Series. … Jonathan Aranda not even making the final round of voting<\/a> to be the American League All-Star starter at first base despite the clearly best stats is just the latest of many reminders how the process rewards popularity over performance. … Hard to know what to make of the absence of updates on the potential sale of the team to a group led by Patrick Zalupski, but deals like this often are completed when things are quiet. …. An ESPN list of 50 players<\/a> who could be traded by the July deadline and ranked by value to a new team had closer Pete Fairbanks 17th, with \u201cbest fits\u201d as the Braves, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers, Tigers. Starter Zack Littell was 34th. … With the draft just weeks away, the Rays lost mid-Atlantic area scout M.L. Morgan, who was hired as head coach at Norfolk State. … To help combat the summer heat, the Rays are providing a free fan to season ticket members. … A video of a funny interaction between Diaz and Junior Caminero in the dugout led Diaz to admit with a smile last week via Rodriguez, \u201cI don\u2019t like people to be touching me a lot.\u201d … With the Rays out of town, the Yankees\u2019 Class A Tampa Tarpons team will get to play their July 4 game, and have an accompanying fireworks show, inside Steinbrenner Field. They have been displaced otherwise to the adjacent community field. … ESPN\u2019s Dick Vitale, a basketball aficionado but also a big baseball fan, posted on X that \u201cThe RAYS are such a well run organization & KEVIN CASH is a terrific manager.\u201d <\/p>\n \u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter<\/a> to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.<\/p>\n Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast<\/a> to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.<\/p>\n Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\nRays shortstop Wander Franco hits a home run during a game against the Athletics in 2023 at Tropicana Field. \u201cWhat could have been is \u2014 I don\u2019t know that there is even a ceiling to put on it,” shortstop Taylor Walls said Friday. [\u00a0LUIS SANTANA | Times\u00a0]<\/p>\n