Two Guardians pitchers face trial over $460,000 gambling scheme
Prosecutors claim Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz took payoffs to help Dominican bettors win in-game prop bets.
By Ayanda Kaminski ·
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz stand trial in Brooklyn federal court on Monday, facing charges that they accepted bribes to assist two gamblers in winning at least $460,000 on individual pitch bets.
The jury trial is expected to last approximately one month. Several former teammates, including catchers and baseball executives, are scheduled to testify. Both pitchers have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges and currently serve on nondisciplinary leave from the Cleveland Guardians without pay.
The indictment alleges that Clase, the former closer, began sharing information about his pitches with the bettors in 2023. He recruited Ortiz, a starter, into the arrangement in 2025. The two men are accused of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.
Clase, 28, is a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year. The charges emerged in November 2025, completing the fourth year of his five-year, $20 million contract. Ortiz, 27, earned $782,600 for the 2025 season.
Defense attorneys plan to argue that the pitchers were strategically varying pitch placement to deceive batters rather than colluding with gamblers. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto aims to finish jury selection quickly enough for opening statements to be delivered on Monday afternoon.
On Friday, the judge ruled that prosecutors cannot present evidence showing Clase owed $500,000 in U.S. taxes. The government provided that proof to defense lawyers several days past the evidence disclosure deadline. Prosecutors had intended to use the tax debt to counter claims that Clase had no financial incentive to cheat because he held millions of dollars in accounts in the Dominican Republic.
Major League Baseball and the Guardians state they have fully cooperated with authorities. MLB reported it contacted federal law enforcement after its own investigation uncovered unusual betting activity.
Source: News 5 Cleveland (WEWS)
