The Cleveland Guardians’ front office is currently awaiting to see what happens to closer Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luiz Ortiz.
The two, just a few weeks ago, were indicted on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. These charges come from an alleged scheme to rig bets on balls and strikes thrown by the two in live game situations.
After all of this unfolded, it was recently revealed that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated that he wished time could be turned back on the decision to legalize sports gambling.
“Ohio shouldn’t have done it,” he said.
Ohio legalized sports betting when House Bill 29 was passed back in December 2021. The law officially went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, allowing both in-person and online sports wagering for individuals at least 21 years old.
“Look, we’ve always had gambling, we’re always going to have gambling,” DeWine told The Associated Press last week. “But just the power of these companies and the deep, deep, deep pockets they have to advertise and do everything they can to get someone to place that bet is really different once you have legalization of them.”
Both Clase and Ortiz can potentially be punished with up to 20 years behind bond due to their illegal betting scheme. In their court appearances, both athletes’ attorneys have routinely denied their involvement, with Ortiz’s attorney saying he, “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game- not for anyone and not for anything.”
This scheme, which was uncovered by a federal investigation, has already resulted in direct changes to sports betting in the state.
DeWine and MLB found common ground on a deal that resulted in the capping of prop bets on individual pitches at $200 and excluding them from parlays.
“Gov. DeWine really did a huge service, I think — to us, certainly, I can’t speak for any of the other sports — in terms of kind of bringing forward the need to do something in this area,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week.
Close and Ortiz still remain on non-disciplinary leave after MLB opened its investigation back in July.
“We are aware of the recent law enforcement action,” the Guardians said in a press release. “We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”
While the City of Cleveland and MLB at large await for a decision on the Clase and Ortiz’s future in the league, Spring Training Camp is entering the picture as it is set to begin in February, just a few months away.