Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, were formally charged in a Brooklyn federal court for allegedly accepting bribes from gamblers to alter the outcome of specific pitches during Major League Baseball games.

According to the indictment, the players received thousands of dollars in exchange for favoring two gamblers from their native Dominican Republic, who managed to win at least $460,000 in in-game bets. These bets, known as prop bets, focused on the type, speed, or outcome of specific pitches, rather than the final score.

Both players have been on paid leave since July, when MLB began an internal investigation into unusual betting activity while they were pitching. Some of the games under suspicion occurred between April and June 2025.

The scheme: manipulated pitches and revealing messages

According to court documents, Class, 27, began collaborating with the gamblers in 2023, although he did not request payments until this year.

The plan involved agreeing with the players on certain conditions for throwing balls outside the strike zone or at specific speeds. One of the most cited incidents occurred on May 28, 2025, in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That day, two bettors placed $4,000 wagers that Clase would throw a ball or hit the batter. However, the pitch looked like a ball, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike and causing the bet to be lost. Minutes after the game, one of the bettors sent Class a GIF of a man hanging himself with toilet paper, according to the court document. The pitcher responded with a GIF of a sad-faced puppy, a conversation that was used as evidence by prosecutors. The file also details that between 2023 and 2025, the bettors earned profits exceeding $400,000 thanks to bets on Clase's pitches.

In June 2025, Luis Ortiz joined the scheme, according to the indictment. The 26-year-old Dominican pitcher allegedly agreed to intentionally throw balls in certain games, including matchups against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals. In one of those games,Ortiz allegedly led off an inning with an 86.7 mph slider that bounced before home plate, fulfilling the agreement to benefit the bettors.

Reactions and Federal Charges

Federal prosecutor Joseph Nocella Jr. stated that both players “betrayed America's national pastime,” emphasizing that the corruption “damages public trust in an institution that is vital and beloved.”

The players' denied lawyers all the allegations. Ortiz's lawyer, Chris Georgalis, asserted that his client "has never attempted to improperly influence a game, nor would he," while Clase's attorney, Michael J. Ferrara, maintained that the closer "has dedicated his life to baseball and looks forward to clearing his name in court." Both face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and manipulating sports competitions through bribery, crimes that could carry up to 20 years in prison. Major League Baseball confirmed that it has cooperated with federal authorities since the beginning of the case. "We are aware of the indictment and the arrest made today; our investigation continues," the league stated in a press release. The Cleveland Guardians, for their part, expressed that they will continue to cooperate with the authorities and with MLB. The Clase and Ortiz case adds to a series of recent scandals related to sports betting in the United States. In 2024, MLB suspended five players for illegal gambling, and the issue has gained relevance since the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting in 2018. Ortiz's lawyer, Chris Georgalis, asserted that his client "has never attempted to improperly influence a game, nor would he," while Clase's attorney, Michael J. Ferrara, maintained that the closer "has dedicated his life to baseball and looks forward to clearing his name in court." Both face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and manipulating sports competitions through bribery, crimes that could carry up to 20 years in prison. Major League Baseball confirmed that it has cooperated with federal authorities since the beginning of the case. "We are aware of the indictment and the arrest made today; our investigation continues," the league stated in a press release. The Cleveland Guardians, for their part, expressed that they will continue to cooperate with the authorities and with MLB. The Clase and Ortiz case adds to a series of recent scandals related to sports betting in the United States. In 2024, MLB suspended five players for illegal gambling, and the issue has gained relevance since the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting in 2018. Ortiz's lawyer, Chris Georgalis, asserted that his client "has never attempted to improperly influence a game, nor would he," while Clase's attorney, Michael J. Ferrara,maintained that the closer "has dedicated his life to baseball and looks forward to clearing his name in court." Both face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and manipulating sports competitions through bribery, crimes that could carry up to 20 years in prison. Major League Baseball confirmed that it has cooperated with federal authorities since the beginning of the case. "We are aware of the indictment and the arrest made today; our investigation continues," the league stated in a press release. The Cleveland Guardians, for their part, expressed that they will continue to cooperate with the authorities and with MLB. The Clase and Ortiz case adds to a series of recent scandals related to sports betting in the United States. In 2024, MLB suspended five players for illegal gambling, and the issue has gained relevance since the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting in 2018.

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