Updated Feb. 15, 2026, 6:26 p.m. ET

As a member of the Cleveland Guardians coaching staff the last two years, Craig Albernaz was present for one of the biggest gambling scandals to rock Major League Baseball since legalized betting hit the sport in 2018.

Now manager of the Baltimore Orioles, Albernaz was asked his thoughts on the evolving case involving Emmanuel Clase, and said he was shocked. “I was shocked as anyone else. Our whole clubhouse too,” Albernaz told reporters Sunday. “It definitely was a blow to the clubhouse in the sense of yes, he’s a really good pitcher that helped us win a lot of games, but then also he’s one of your boys.”

Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted in November on charges related to an illegal sports betting scheme after MLB opened an investigation in July and placed the two pitchers on leave. They were alleged to have rigged pitches to help co-conspirators win bets. Albernaz, who was a bench coach and associate manager for the Guardians, credited the team’s leadership for holding things together through it all.

“To the clubhouse in Cleveland’s credit, they didn’t miss a beat. And it’s a testament to [manager Stephen Vogt’s] leadership, and the rest of the guys in there,” Albernaz said. Without Clase and Ortiz, Cleveland went 19-4 over its final 23 games to win the AL Central for the second year in a row and reach the playoffs.

In the original indictment, Clase was accused of throwing suspicious pitches in nine separate games. As prosecutors continue to sift through data, they’ve since identified 15 games between 2023 and 2025 in which they believe Clase tried to throw pitches to help bettors, including a 2024 playoff game. In court documents filed earlier this month, Clase was accused of throwing suspicious pitches in at least 48 games.

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