• MLB pitchers accused of rigging pitches so gamblers could cash in on prop bets
• Today’s indictments latest in ongoing legal issues involving pro sports and gambling
• Ortiz set to appear in court tomorrow, Clase not yet in custody

Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers are the latest pro athletes to be indicted for gambling-related charges.

Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians pitches against the Athletics during an MLB game this past June. Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz were arrested today on gambling-related charges. Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images.

According to reporting, indictments unsealed in a Brooklyn federal court today allege Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz took thousands of dollars in payoffs from two Dominican gamblers in exchange for rigging in-game pitching, including throwing balls instead of strikes. The gamblers won $460,000 on in-game prop betting around the speed and outcomes of certain pitches according to the court documents.

Ortiz Arrested Today

The players have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. Both pitchers had been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by Major League Baseball this past summer due to investigations into abnormal betting activity during games.

According to a statement by the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York, beginning in May 2023, Clase began to work with gamblers to rig prop bets on particular pitches he threw, around the speed and type of his pitches. Gamblers would place bets based on information they had in advance by coordinating with Clase, sometimes during MLB games.

Throwing Pitches Into the Dirt

To ensure certain pitches were called as balls, Clase threw many of them into the dirt, well outside the strike zone. Not only did he get kickbacks from the bettors in exchange for providing the pitch information, Clase is also accused of providing money in advance on occasion to fund the scheme.

Ortiz was accused of joining the criminal scheme this past June. Before an MLB games June 15, Ortiz agreed to work with his co-conspirators to throw a ball on a particular pitch in exchange for bribes. Bettors agreed to pay Ortiz a $5,000 bribe for throwing the rigged pitch and Clase $5,000 for arranging the rigged pitch.

Ortiz and Clase Already on Leave

The indictment details other games where the players allegedly rigged pitches in exchange for payoffs.

Ortiz was arrested by the FBI today at Boston Logan International Airport. The 26-year-old will appear in a federal court in Boston tomorrow. Clase, 27, like Ortiz a native of the Dominican Republic, is not yet in custody. 

Fixing Pitches

“Professional athletes, like Luis Leandro Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz hold a position of trust—not only with their teammates and their professional leagues, but with fans who believe in fair play,” said United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr.

“As alleged, the defendants sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches.  In doing so, the defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services. They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime.  

“Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports,” he said. “When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.  Today’s charges make clear that our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who corrupt sports through illegal means.”

NBA Betting Scandal

Ortiz’s attorney denied the charges in a statement to ESPN. A statement by MLB to ESPN said they are aware of the indictment, and their own investigation is ongoing

Last month, an NBA betting scandal blew up, with the FBI arresting Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in a scheme where he allegedly pulled himself out of an NBA game in 2023 early, when he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets, so bettors could cash in on thousands of dollars in prop bets.

That same day Portland Trailblazers head coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, as well as former NBA player Damon Jones, were arrested for allegedly being part of an illegal poker operation the FBI said included members of New York crime families, where people were duped out of money.

Possible 20-Year Sentences

Both MLB players are under contract for next season. Ortiz, a starting pitcher, has a contract that pays him USD $820,000 per year and has career earnings of $2.26 million, according to Spotrac. Clase is an elite MLB pitcher, a three-time All-Star and two-time reliever of the year in MLB. His salary for 2026 is $6.4 million, and he has $15.3 million in career earnings.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy count, 20 years’ imprisonment on the honest services wire fraud conspiracy count, five years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery count, and 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count.

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