MLB: Cleveland Guardians pitchers charged with taking bribes to rig in-game pitches
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn unsealed an indictment on November 9 charging Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz with participating in a scheme to take bribes from sports bettors and deliberately manipulate the outcome and characteristics of specific pitches during Major League Baseball games. The 10-count indictment accuses the players of wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money-laundering conspiracy.
Through this scheme, the defendants defrauded betting platforms, deprived Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Guardians of their honest services, illegally enriched themselves and their co-conspirators, misled the public, and betrayed America’s pastime. ~ per the Indictment
According to the Justice Department’s criminal complaint, the scheme began as early as 2023 and expanded into 2025. Prosecutors say bettors from the players’ native Dominican Republic paid thousands of dollars to have particular pitches thrown in a way that would win wagers. For example, throwing a ball instead of a strike, delivering a pitch below an agreed-upon speed, or otherwise creating a predictable outcome on specific in-game wagers. The indictment alleges the gamblers realized at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit winnings, and that Clase and Ortiz received kickbacks and cash payments in return.
Federal agents arrested Luis Ortiz at Boston Logan International Airport, where he was taken into custody and is scheduled to appear in court, while Emmanuel Clase was not in U.S. custody at the time the indictment was unsealed. Both pitchers have been on paid leave from the Guardians since Major League Baseball began investigating unusual in-game betting patterns in July 2025. The Justice Department said the alleged conduct involved games from multiple seasons and named several specific instances in which pitches were allegedly predetermined.
The DOJ statement details multiple individual pitches singled out by prosecutors. For example, the indictment alleges prearranged pitches in June 2025 for which Ortiz was to intentionally throw a ball in exchange for specified sums (reports say $5,000 and $7,000 for particular rigged pitches), and that Clase helped arrange and facilitate bets — including withdrawing cash and providing funds to co-conspirators who placed wagers.
Prosecutors say the co-conspirators won at least $460,000 on the scheme. The indictment also alleges the players used cellphones during games to communicate about the scheme, a violation of MLB rules.
Major League Baseball has been cooperating with investigators since it identified “unusually high” betting activity tied to games featuring the two pitchers. The Guardians placed both players on non-disciplinary paid leave in July while MLB’s integrity unit and federal investigators probed the activity. The club has not announced a roster decision pending the legal process, and league officials have said they will defer to the criminal investigation.
Both players have denied criminal wrongdoing in initial public statements reported by media outlets.
You can see a copy of the indictment charging Clase and Ortiz here.
Ortiz will appear before a federal magistrate for initial proceedings in the district where he was arrested. Clase’s process will depend on whether and how he is taken into custody or appears. For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
.
(Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York; The Associated Press; Reuters; ESPN; CBS News)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
