CLEVELAND — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on federal charges alleging they accepted bribes from sports bettors to intentionally alter specific pitches during games, helping gamblers secure major wins on prop bets.
According to an indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, both pitchers allegedly accepted several thousand dollars in payments from two unnamed bettors from the Dominican Republic. Prosecutors say the scheme helped those individuals profit more than 460,000 dollars through wagers tied to pitch speed and pitch outcomes.
Clase, the former Cleveland closer, and Ortiz, a starting pitcher, have been on paid non-disciplinary leave since July after Major League Baseball noticed irregular betting patterns during games in which they appeared. The suspicious games reportedly took place in April, May, and June.
FBI agents arrested Ortiz, age 26, at Boston Logan International Airport on Sunday. He is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday. Clase, age 27, was not in custody as of Sunday.
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the players had “betrayed America’s pastime,” adding that professional sports depend on integrity and fair competition. “When corruption enters the game, it damages public trust and harms an institution that matters deeply to millions,” he said.
The Cleveland Guardians issued a statement saying they are aware of the law enforcement actions and will continue cooperating with investigators and Major League Baseball.
Charges and Penalties
Clase and Ortiz face charges including:
- Wire fraud conspiracy
- Honest services wire fraud conspiracy
- Money laundering conspiracy
- Conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery
The most serious counts carry potential prison sentences of up to 20 years.
Details Described in the Indictment
Investigators described several incidents in which Clase allegedly altered his pitch behavior.
In April, during a game against the Boston Red Sox, Clase reportedly spoke by phone with a bettor shortly before entering the game. Four minutes later, the bettor won 11,000 dollars after wagering that Clase would deliver a pitch slower than 97.95 miles per hour.
Another incident occurred in May against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clase reportedly agreed to throw a ball at a specific moment, but the batter swung and produced a strike instead, costing the bettors four thousand dollars. After the game, Clase allegedly sent text messages to one of the gamblers that included images of a person pretending to hang himself with toilet paper and a sad puppy face.
Prosecutors listed multiple specific pitches from 2023 and 2024 that Clase allegedly manipulated, including cutters and sliders intentionally thrown in the dirt as first pitches of innings.
Clase earned 4.5 million dollars in 2025, the fourth season of a five-year, 20 million dollar contract. Prosecutors say he began providing bettors with pitching information in 2023 but did not request payments until this year.
Ortiz is accused of joining the scheme in June. The indictment cites rigged pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals, including bounced first-pitch sliders at speeds around 86 to 87 miles per hour.
Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, denied the accusations and said his client has never attempted to influence a game improperly. He said money transfers between Ortiz and individuals in the Dominican Republic were legitimate and unrelated to gambling.
Clase’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The MLB Players Association also declined to comment.
MLB Noticed Unusual Betting Activity
Major League Baseball said it alerted federal law enforcement when internal monitoring detected suspicious betting patterns and has fully cooperated throughout the investigation. The league emphasized that its own inquiry remains active.
Larger Crackdown on Sports Betting Misconduct
The indictment arrives amid a series of federal crackdowns involving athletes across major sports.
Last month, more than 30 people — including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier — were arrested in a widespread illegal gambling investigation that stunned the NBA.
Sports betting controversies have increased since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended the federal ban on sports wagering in most states. The expanded legalization of online sportsbooks has led to a surge in betting-related issues across the sports world.
MLB suspended five players in June 2024 for gambling violations. San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was permanently banned for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets totaling more than 150,000 dollars with a legal sportsbook.
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