Cleveland Guardians starter Luis Ortiz walked out of a Boston federal court Monday after being released on a $500,000 bond; he’s due back in the EDNY this week along with Emmanuel Clase
Federal prosecutors charged MLB pitcher of the Cleveland Guardians, Luis Ortiz, with conspiring to rig specific pitches in Major League Baseball games, then securing illegal gains for various bettors (or co-conspirators). Ortiz appeared in the US District Court in Massachusetts on Monday afternoon, after his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport on Sunday. He was released on a $500,000 bond under strict conditions, including the surrender of his passport and travel restrictions to the Northeast, plus no communication with anyone allegedly involved.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera will appear today in federal court in Boston at 3 p.m. (before Magistrate Judge Donald Cabel). Clase is still TBD…
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) November 10, 2025
According to ESPN, Ortiz was wearing a green tracksuit and didn’t speak at all during the arraignment, with his lawyers opting out of speaking with reporters before and after court.
According to the indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, Ortiz and teammate Emmanuel Clase manipulated pitching outcomes for the benefit of bettors who wagered, reportedly resulting in the bettors winning hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Clase and Ortiz getting a cut. Prosecutors allege the scheme produced at least $450,000 in fraudulent winnings, with Clase allegedly rigging pitches starting in May 2023.
Ortiz remains free on bond but, of course, faces multiple federal counts that could land him decades in prison, including wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. According to Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, “There is no credible evidence Luis did anything knowingly other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court. The government’s case is weak and circumstantial. He will defend himself, and he will prevail.”
After Luis Ortiz was charged in a gambling scheme by prosectuors, his attorney, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement to ESPN that Ortiz is “innocent of the charges related to two pitches he threw” and that “he has always given his best effort in every inning of every game.” pic.twitter.com/4RAakmvtcB
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 9, 2025
In the indictment, the government claims to have text messages between bettors, proof of wire transfers, and with photographic and video evidence of the pitches.
The Major League Baseball said it is cooperating fully with the feds, and Clase and Ortiz have both since been placed on leave. Ortiz is due back in court on Wednesday, November 12, in the Eastern District for a scheduled hearing. Clase will be arraigned in the EDNY on Thursday, November 13. Both will go before Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo, who recently denied the bond of Angelo Ruggerio Jr. in the rigged poker indictment.
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