Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz indicted for pitch rigging

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been charged with fraud, conspiracy and corruption stemming from an alleged scheme to rig individual pitches that allowed players to win hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to an indictment unsealed Sunday by federal prosecutors.

Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday morning in Boston and will appear in court Monday, according to prosecutors. Clase, 27, is not in custody.

Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, the Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney’s Office that brought similar charges against NBA player Terry Rozier and several coaches in late October, said in the indictment that Clase arranged with a bettor as early as May 2023 to throw specific ball throws so the player could place side bets and turn a profit. Ortiz, prosecutors said, joined the scheme in June 2025, and between the two, players won at least $450,000 in bets on their slots, while Clase and Ortiz received bribes for their participation.

Clase and Ortiz each face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, 20 years for honest services wire fraud conspiracy, 20 years for money laundering conspiracy and five years for conspiracy to corruptly influence sporting events, according to prosecutors.

“The defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services,” Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said in a statement. “They defrauded the online betting platforms where bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime. Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption seeps into sports, it not only shames the participants, but also undermines public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”

In a statement to ESPN, Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, denied the accusations, saying his client “has never and will never improperly influence a game – not for anyone or anything.” A message to Clase’s attorney seeking comment was not returned.

Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time Reliever of the Year, and Ortiz were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by MLB in July after betting integrity companies reported improper betting on a pair of pitches thrown by Ortiz in June.

While the ubiquity of legalized gambling has shaken the sports world, the allegations against Clase and Ortiz are the most serious for the sport since Pete Rose agreed to a lifetime ban on betting on baseball in 1989. MLB’s rules against betting on the sport are strict, and Clase and Ortiz could face lifetime bans similar to the one handed down last year against San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano, who placed nearly 400 baseball bets.

In a statement, MLB said: “MLB contacted federal law enforcement early in its investigation and cooperated fully throughout the process. We are aware of today’s indictment and arrest, and our investigation continues.” The Guardians said in a statement that they are aware of the accusations and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and MLB.

In a 23-page indictment, prosecutors described a scheme perpetrated by Clase, the right-hander considered one of baseball’s best relief pitchers. According to prosecutors, Clase would routinely throw balls instead of strikes and sliders instead of cutters on the first pitch at bat in which bettors would bet on individual pitches to be balls or below a specific mph threshold. Proposition bets, according to the indictment, would often be stacked in a parlay, leading to larger payouts.

Clase provided money for bettors to play on his behalf, texted bettors during games and was later joined in the scheme by Ortiz, a right-hander who joined the Guardians in a trade in December 2024, the indictment says.

The first example, according to the indictment, occurred during a May 19, 2023 game between the Guardians and the New York Mets, during which Clase relayed information that he would throw a pitch faster than 94.95 mph. The bettors, according to prosecutors, won $27,000 on that land. A few weeks later, bettors added a step to a parlay for a pitch to be a ball slower than 94.95 mph — and won $38,000 when Clase threw a slider at least 5 feet in front of home plate.

In April 2025, according to the indictment, Clase “demanded and received bribes and kickbacks in exchange for agreeing to make specific pitches.” One day after throwing a pitch that hit the grass in front of home plate — about 10 feet short — Clase texted a punter to ask if he had played the field, according to the indictment. When the bettor claimed that was the case, according to the indictment, Clase requested that money be sent to the Dominican Republic — where Clase, Ortiz and the bettor are from — “for repairs to the country house.”

During the three years of the alleged scheme, prosecutors said, a bettor made 16 parlays in which Clase threw a ball off one leg. Of the eight throws involved in these bets, seven were successful. The eighth was a pitch in the dirt thrown by Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages.

Ortiz’s involvement began on June 15, 2025, according to the indictment, when he agreed with Clase that he would be paid $5,000 to throw out the first pitch of the second inning for a ball. According to prosecutors, Clase received $5,000 for organizing the alleged fraud. Two bettors wagered a total of $13,000 on the field, according to the indictment. When Ortiz received a payment of 90,000 Dominican pesos, or about $1,400, Clase ordered him to lie about the purpose of the money if asked and to say “this payment is for a horse,” according to prosecutors.

“Okay, perfect,” Ortiz said.

On June 27, 2025, Ortiz agreed to throw out the first pitch of the third inning for a ball in exchange for $7,000, the indictment states. Bank security footage showed Clase withdrawing $50,000 in cash, of which he gave $15,000 to one of the bettors, who was in Cleveland that day, to bet on the field, prosecutors said. The bettors placed $18,000 on the pitch, which was well outside the strike zone, according to the indictment.

Georgalis disputed the indictment’s findings in his statement.

“As Luis’s defense team explained and documented in detail to the government before these charges were brought, Luis’s payments and other money transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities,” the statement said. “In particular, the indictment is entirely lacking in any alleged evidence linking Luis to these alleged bettors or demonstrating any deliberate involvement in a scheme.

“There is no credible evidence that Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court. The government’s arguments are weak and circumstantial. He will defend himself and he will prevail.”

Clase earned more than $12 million during a major league career that spanned seven seasons, and he was scheduled to earn $6.4 million in 2026. Ortiz’s salary in 2025 was $782,600.