NEW YORK — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted on charges that they accepted bribes from sports bettors to manipulate certain pitches, including throwing balls in the dirt rather than strikes, to ensure winning in-game prop bets, federal prosecutors said.
An indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn alleges the two pitchers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on wagers tied to pitch speed and outcomes. Major League Baseball placed both players on paid leave in July after it discovered unusual in-game betting activity when they pitched; some questioned games took place in April, May and June.
Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport and is expected to appear in federal court in Boston. Clase, 27, was not in custody.
“Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said, adding that the pitchers “betrayed America’s pastime” and harmed public trust.
Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, issued a statement saying Ortiz is innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.” Georgalis said his team previously provided prosecutors documentation that the payments and transfers involving Ortiz and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful purposes, and that Ortiz looks forward to contesting the charges.
A lawyer for Clase did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Major League Baseball Players Association declined to comment.
Major League Baseball said it alerted federal law enforcement after detecting unusual betting activity and has fully cooperated with investigators. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” the league said. The Guardians also said they are cooperating with law enforcement and MLB.
Both players face counts including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. Each top count carries a potential maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The indictment includes specific examples. Prosecutors say Clase invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April, spoke with him by phone shortly before taking the mound, and four minutes later the bettor and associates won $11,000 betting that Clase would throw a pitch slower than 97.95 mph. In May, prosecutors allege Clase agreed to throw a ball at a particular point during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers; a batter swung and it resulted in a strike, costing the bettors about $4,000. After that game, Clase allegedly sent text images to a bettor depicting a man hanging himself with toilet paper and a sad puppy face.
The indictment lists multiple first-pitch instances prosecutors say Clase rigged, including a 98.5 mph cutter low and inside to Starling Marte on May 19, 2023; an 89.4 mph slider that bounced short of home plate to Ryan Jeffers on June 3, 2023; an 89.4 mph slider that bounced to Bobby Witt Jr. on April 12, 2023; a 99.1 mph cutter in the dirt to Max Kepler on May 11; a bounced 89.1 mph slider to Jake Bauers on May 13; and a bounced 87.5 mph slider to Santiago Espinal on May 17. Prosecutors say Clase began providing bettors information about his pitches in 2023 but did not request payoffs until 2025. Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had a $4.5 million salary in 2025 and was in the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract.
Prosecutors say Ortiz joined the scheme in June. He is accused of bouncing first-pitch sliders in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals: an 86.7 mph slider to Randy Arozarena that bounced at the start of the second inning on June 15, and an 86.7 mph slider to Pedro Pagés that went to the backstop at the start of the third inning on June 27. Ortiz had a $782,600 salary this year, the indictment noted.
The charges come amid a broader federal crackdown on gambling-related corruption in professional sports. Last month, authorities arrested more than 30 people in a sweep that included high-profile basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. The prosecutions follow a surge in sports betting since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision lifted a federal ban on most state sports wagering and paved the way for widespread online sportsbooks.
Major League Baseball previously suspended five players in June 2024 for betting violations, including a lifetime ban for San Diego infielder Tucupita Marcano, accused of placing hundreds of baseball bets totaling more than $150,000.
