CLEVELAND — Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted by federal prosecutors in New York on several charges related to schemes to rig bets on pitches thrown during Major League Baseball games.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Clase and Ortiz are being charged with “wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy” connected to their alleged roles in the betting scheme.
Ortiz was arrested the morning of Nov. 9 in Boston, according to an ESPN report. Clase has reportedly not yet been brought into custody.
DOJ charges Luis Ortiz, Emmanuel Clase in sports betting conspiracy
A 23-page indictment has been filed against both pitchers, which claims Clase and Ortiz intentionally threw balls so betters could wager on those pitches. These bets are often referred to as micro-bets. Irregular activity on these bets with Clase and Ortiz triggered an investigation, which led to both being placed on paid leave in July.
The indictment states the alleged scheme started as early as May 2023 with Clase, and it later included Ortiz. Prosecutors allege Ortiz was paid $5,000 for throwing an intentional ball on June 15, and Clase received $5,000 for facilitating it. The same scheme is alleged to have taken place again on June 27, with the payment for each reaching $7,000.
Several alleged incidents are outlined in the indictment. One of them, from May 28, 2025, states Clase threw a pitch that was meant to be a ball, but the batter — Andy Pages of the Dodgers — swung and missed, resulting in a strike. According to the indictment, approximately 20 minutes after losing the bet, “Bettor-1” sent a message to Clase with a GIF of a man hanging himself with toiler paper. Approximately 10 minutes later, even though the Guardians won the game, Clase allegedly responded to “Bettor-1” with a GIF of a sad puppy dog face.
If convicted on all charges, both pitchers face up to 65 years in prison, according to the Eastern District of New York, which outlined the case after indicting the pair on fraud, conspiracy and bribery charges.
The Guardians released the following statement: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”