Cleveland Guardians Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will face federal trial in May over an alleged scheme in which the two pitchers are accused of accepting payments to throw specific pitches during MLB games to ensure the success of prop bets.
Per the Associated Press, U.S. District Court Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said Tuesday that jury selection for the case is scheduled to start May 4 in a New York federal court in Brooklyn. The trial would then commence within the next week.
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Clase and Ortiz were placed on “non-disciplinary paid leave” by MLB in July due to an MLB investigation into the alleged illegal betting activity. They haven’t played MLB baseball since.
They were arrested in November on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.
They both pleaded not guilty and have since been released on bond. Lawyers for both players have denied the accusations.
Emmanuel Clase, seen here outside a Brooklyn federal courthouse on Nov. 13.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
What Clase, Ortiz are accused of
In a 23-page indictment, the U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Clase and Ortiz conspired with two unnamed bettors in their native Dominican Republic to rig prop bets on what pitches the pitchers would throw. These were usually balls instead of strikes, per prosecutors.
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From the indictment:
“Usually, they agreed that CLASE would throw balls (instead of strikes) and slower “slider” pitches (rather than faster cut fastball “cutter” pitches}—and often on the first pitches of an at-bat when CLASE was brought into a game as a relief pitcher.”
Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, when the story first broke in July, two pitches thrown by Ortiz in June were flagged by a betting-integrity firm after they received unusual gambling activity.
One of those pitches was a ball thrown way outside that bounced in the dirt and to the backstop against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 27.
According to prosecutors, Clase started informing the alleged conspiring bettors about his pitches in 2023. Per the indictment, Ortiz joined the scheme in June of this year.
Prosecutors say that the alleged scheme netted at least $450,000 in winnings for the alleged conspirators.
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How much could betting scandal cost Clase, Ortiz?
Clase, 27, is a three-time All-Star and one of the best closers in baseball when he’s eligible to play. He has a five-year, $20 million contract with the Guardians that runs through 2026.
The Guardians hold $10 million team options on his contract for each of the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Had he been able to maintain his level of play, Clase would be due a massive contract when he’d be next eligible to sign one.
Clase’s baseball future is unclear, as is the status of his contract with the Guardians. But he’s put at risk 10s of millions of dollars at a minimum for his alleged involvement in a six-figure betting scheme involving multiple parties.
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Ortiz, 26, was in his fourth MLB season in 2025. He has $2.5 million in career earnings and was playing on a one-year, $820,000 contract.