Guardians Pitchers Face Month-Long Trial Over $460,000 Betting Scheme
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz stand trial in Brooklyn, accused of colluding with Dominican bettors while on unpaid leave from the club.
By Isaac Medina ·
Former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz entered a federal courtroom in Brooklyn on Monday to begin a jury trial. The proceedings are expected to last one month. Both men are on nondisciplinary leave from the Guardians without pay while the case is decided.
Prosecutors allege that the two pitchers conspired with two gamblers from the Dominican Republic. The indictment states that the bettors won at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets regarding pitch speed and outcomes. Clase and Ortiz are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. Both have pleaded not guilty.
According to the government, Clase began sharing information about his pitches with the bettors in 2023. He recruited Ortiz into the arrangement in 2025. The pitchers accepted several thousand dollars in payoffs. Clase, 28, is a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year. He had completed his fourth season of a five-year, $20 million contract when the charges surfaced in November 2025. Ortiz, 27, earned $782,600 as a starter for the Guardians during the 2025 season.
Defense attorneys argue that the pitchers were not colluding. They contend that the men were varying pitch placement strategically to deceive batters, a standard part of professional pitching. Lawyers for Ortiz previously attempted to secure a separate trial but were denied by the court.
Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto scheduled the trial to move quickly. She aims to finish jury selection early so that opening statements can be delivered in the afternoon. The judge ruled on Friday that prosecutors cannot present evidence of a $500,000 U.S. tax debt owed by Clase. The government failed to disclose this financial detail to the defense within the required deadline.
A prosecutor argued that the tax debt was relevant to counter claims that Clase had little incentive to gamble because he held millions of dollars in accounts in the Dominican Republic. The court excluded the evidence from the trial. Major League Baseball and the Guardians have stated that they fully cooperated with federal law enforcement. MLB told authorities about the unusual betting activity during its own investigation.
