NEW YORK — Two MLB pitchers were indicted Sunday on charges they took bribes to give sports bettors advance notice of the types of pitches they’d throw and intentionally tossed balls instead of strikes to ensure successful bets.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, both of whom pitched for the Guardians, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July while Major League Baseball investigated unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched.
Clase, 27, and Ortiz, 26, were both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison in the event of a conviction.
Ortiz was arrested by the FBI on Sunday morning at Boston’s Logan Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday.
Major League Baseball said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating the unusual betting activity and “has fully cooperated” with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” its statement said.
In a statement, the Guardians said: “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.”
Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”
A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
The indictment explains how Clase, and later Ortiz, conspired with bettors to rig pitches by telling those bettors they planned to throw balls in certain situations.
The indictment notes two instances in which Clase pitched against the Red Sox and threw balls. One was in a June 7, 2023, game in Cleveland. The bettor working with Clase, who was not named in the indictment, won approximately $58,000 after allegedly getting advance information on the pitch Clase would throw to a Boston batter. The bettor placed a bet that the pitch would be a ball and be slower than 94.95 miles per hour. The pitch landed in the dirt.
A screenshot of video footage included in the indictment against Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz shows a Clase pitch against the Red Sox on June 7, 2023, landing in the dirt.Eastern District of NY
On April 26, 2025, according to the indictment, Clase got tickets for the bettor to attend a Red Sox-Guardians game. During the game, Clase texted the bettor — using a phone in-game is a violation of MLB rules — and the pair also spoke on the phone. The bettor and others won approximately $11,000 by betting that a Clase pitch would be slower than 97.95 mph.
Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement that professional athletes hold a responsibility for fair play, but allegedly “sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches.”
“They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime,” Nocella stated. “Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports.”
The charges are the latest bombshell developments in a federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.
Last month, more than 30 people were arrested in a gambling sweep that rocked the NBA, including former Celtics Chauncey Billups, a Hall of Fame player and coach of the Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier, still in the league with the Heat.
Sports betting scandals have long been a concern, but a May 2018 US Supreme Court ruling led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.
MLB suspended five players in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets with a legal sportsbook totaling more than $150,000.