LAS VEGAS ― As Major League Baseball executives and agents gather in Las Vegas to discuss the business of the coming offseason, the sport announced new measures on Monday meant to shield the game from the type of betting scandal that is currently enmeshing it.
Last week, Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz — both of whom were placed on paid administrative leave by MLB in July — were indicted in US District Court on charges brought by the US government that they’d “conspired with bettors to rig pitches in professional baseball games so that the bettors would profit from illegal wagers made based on that inside information.” Ortiz appeared in federal court in Boston on Monday.
The two pitchers were accused of throwing specific types of pitches and producing specific outcomes in certain situations and game appearances so that two bettors could profit off inside information, with Clase and Ortiz allegedly receiving money for their participation in the scheme. One example cited in the indictment was a slider in the dirt thrown by Clase to Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran on June 7, 2023 — likely this pitch — which resulted in bettors winning $58,000 based on the pitch being under 94.95 miles per hour and a ball.
On Monday, MLB announced that the Commissioner’s Office (in collaboration with “its sportsbook partners”) had created new limits on “pitch-level markets,” in which one player alone can typically determine the outcome. (Other prop bets, such as whether a player would get a hit on a specific pitch, would require the coordination of multiple actors to ensure an outcome.) Specifically, the announcement said that “MLB Authorized Gaming Operators” would cap bets on pitch-level markets at $200, and exclude such bets from parlays.
The press release proclaimed that the new safeguards would reach 98 percent of the US betting market, and that the creation of bet limits and the ban on parlays would reduce the incentive to try to fix an outcome.
“Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalized sports betting, Major League Baseball has continuously worked with industry and regulatory stakeholders across the country to uphold our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in the release. “I . . . commend the industry for working with us to take action on a national solution to address the risks posed by these pitch-level markets, which are particularly vulnerable to integrity concerns.”
Clase, a 27-year-old three-time All-Star closer, and Ortiz, a 26-year-old who was in his fourth big league season when put on administrative leave this season, were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. Spokespersons for both pitchers have denied criminal wrongdoing.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are the latest players arrested on charges related to rigging games. Ben Volin argues that getting rid of prop bets would get rid
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