Strategy or Setup? The Guardians Betting Trial Begins

Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians are now on trial after being accused of participating in a pitch-rigging scheme as part of a sports betting conspiracy. Prosecutors claim Ortiz and Clase gave advance notice to a gambling ring about their pitching plans in an effort to cash in on prop bets, which allow gamblers to place wagers on specific game events. Prosecutors charged the teammates with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sports contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy.

In 2023, Clase allegedly agreed to start rigging his pitches after being introduced to a group of bettors, with Ortiz later joining in 2025. The prosecution claims the players conspired with the gambling ring to throw specific pitches, such as balls instead of strikes or pitches above or below certain speeds. Ortiz is alleged to have thrown two rigged pitches, whereas prosecutors say Clase rigged 18 pitches over three seasons. It is purported that Clase and Ortiz took a cut of the earnings as kickbacks, agreeing to accept at least $12,000 each, while also attempting to hide the dirty money by laundering it through the Dominican Republic. A cooperating witness claims to have made tens of thousands of dollars off these prop bets. The prosecution further alleges the conspirators made at least $450,000 from the betting scheme itself.

Reportedly, the bettors communicated through WhatsApp in a group chat named “Uber Inc.,” as some of the participants were Uber drivers. Supposedly, the group used code names like “rooster” and “chicken” for fixed pitches, borrowing from cockfighting, a popular, legal pastime in the Dominican Republic. A witness identified one user in a screenshot as Clase, whereas Ortiz’s attorney claims he did not have contact with the bettors. A typical wager would be that Clase’s first throw would be under 94.95 mph, or that it would be called a ball. Clase’s cut fastball can top 103 mph, and his slider sits at 90 mph. According to DraftKings geolocation data and a DraftKings investigator, 161 bets were placed on Clase’s pitches from his own home, and 30 more bets were placed at his ballpark in Cleveland.

Judge Kiyo Matsumoto, the presiding judge in the case, clearly is unfamiliar with the game of baseball. During the trial, she seemed confused over the difference between an “inning” and an “outing,” and asked, “Are Detroit and White Sox the same thing?” Clase’s attorney, Lindsay Gerdes, asked the judge to limit her questions, saying that some favored the government’s case. The judge’s questions underscore how much this case hinges on baseball knowledge, since it turns on whether certain pitches were ordinary game strategy or outright rigged.

Clase and Ortiz’s case is the first to go to trial from a litany of recent cases tied to athlete gambling, primarily involving the NBA. Already, dozens have been charged, such as former Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups, ex-Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, and former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter. In an era of ever-increasing sports betting, the outcome here could shape what happens when athletes are accused of rigging the games they play in.

 

Sources:

Stewart Bishop, Feds’ Prop Bet Case Based On Lies, MLB Pitchers Tell Jury, Law360 (Nov. 4, 2026).

Stewart Bishop, Gambler Tells Jury Crew Bet On Guardians Inside Pitch Info, Law360 (Nov. 6, 2026).

Sam Blum, MLB pitch-rigging trial: Attorneys for Guardians’ Clase, Ortiz say players were exploited, The Athletic (Nov. 5, 2026).

Sam Blum, Rigged pitches or baseball strategy? What to know as Clase-Ortiz trial enters second week, The Athletic (Nov. 9, 2026).