Pedro Martínez On Wander Franco ... Humans Deserve A Second Chance

Published May 27, 2026 9:14 AM PDT

Pedro Martínez doesn't know if Wander Franco will ever play Major League Baseball again, but he hopes society will give the All-Star shortstop a chance to redeem himself.

"I don't really know if he would. I'm hoping that he can actually reestablish himself, not only spiritually, but mentally. As humans, we all deserve an opportunity to redo ourselves," the Red Sox legend told TMZ Sports at the Sports Emmys when we asked him if he believed Franco would again play in the big leagues.

Franco, 25, was found criminally responsible for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl, but was spared prison after a judge ruled he was also the victim of extortion and blackmail at the hands of the minor's mother.

While Wander won't be cooling his heels in a jail cell, he has yet to learn whether MLB will dole out its own punishment ... which could include a lengthy suspension.

"The system so far, it's really complicated getting back, but I'm hoping that as humans, we all give him a chance to become a better person, to understand what he did, to work on it, and more importantly than anything, just to reestablish himself in society, and understand that wasn't right and he needs to do it in a better way for the future and serve as an example for others just in case he doesn't make it back," the Hall of Famer added.

Before the criminal case, Franco, once the top prospect in all of baseball, was one of the game's brightest stars.

He played three seasons with the Rays, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, and earning an All-Star nod in 2023, the last season he played.