Earlier this year, two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Carlos Ortiz, were placed on the restricted list pending investigation into their alleged involvement in illegal gambling activities.[1] Both Clase and Ortiz have since been indicted for their participation in a scheme to rig bets on MLB games.[2] Their charges include wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. Ortiz was arrested on Sunday morning and appeared in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts the following day. Clase, however, is not in U.S. custody.[3]
The Guardians pitchers were indicted for allegedly throwing specific pitches in MLB games that were prearranged with their co-conspirators.[4] These individuals used the inside information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on the pitches, winning over $400,000 from inside information on Clase’s pitches.[5] It is alleged that Clase has been participating in this scheme since 2023, sharing details about the speed and type of pitches he would throw, sometimes even during the games. One early example cited in the indictment involved Clase providing information that he would throw a pitch faster than 94 to 95 mph, along with similar bets for slower pitches.[6] Evidence also shows that Clase asked the bettors to donate portions of their winnings to his home country, the Dominican Republic.[7]
Ortiz allegedly did not join until 2025, but once he joined, he collaborated with Clase to rig games. It is believed that Ortiz was paid $12,000 to intentionally throw a ball instead of a strike in several MLB games. Clase received payments for his assistance in this rigging.
If convicted, Clase and Ortiz could face many years behind bars for their fraudulent activities—up to 20 years for wire fraud conspiracy, 20 years for money laundering, and five years for conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery.[8]
These indictments follow a series of similar gambling indictments of several NBA players and coaches, along with similar issues in college basketball, where several players were investigated for rigging games and eventually deemed permanently ineligible. The NBA is requesting that several teams turn over documents and property as a part of the illegal sports gambling scandal.[9] This is in an effort to uncover credible evidence of players and coaches’ participation in the scheme.[10] At least ten employees of the Lakers will be required to turn over their cell phone and phone records.[11] As more unravels with these scandals across the different leagues, it is likely that the government will request these records and documents from players and coaches to uncover the extent of these scandals and avoid future gambling issues. This activity ruins the integrity of the game, and it should be punished at the highest degree. A harsh punishment can serve as a deterrence for future gambling incidents like this one, especially for a sport that has a strict no betting on baseball rule.
[1] Kevin Dotson, Feds indict 2 Cleveland Guardians pitchers for alleged sports betting and money laundering scheme, CNN (November 9, 2025).
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Jess Passan, Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz indicted for pitch rigging, ESPN (November 9, 2025)
[7] Id.
[8] Id.
[9] Joe Vardon, Mike Vorkunov, Sam Amick, NBA seeks cell phones from multiple teams, including Lakers, in gambling investigation: Sources, The Athletic (November 15, 2025)
[10] Id.
[11] Id.
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