The world of professional baseball has been rocked by a high-profile scandal involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who stand accused of rigging pitches for the benefit of sports gamblers in their native Dominican Republic. The revelations have sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball (MLB), the Dominican baseball community, and the broader landscape of sports betting, raising urgent questions about the integrity of America’s pastime and the effectiveness of existing safeguards.
According to federal indictments unsealed in New York on November 10, 2025, Clase and Ortiz allegedly accepted bribes from unnamed sports bettors to manipulate the outcome of specific pitches across multiple games, enabling those bettors to win at least $460,000. The scheme reportedly involved kickbacks to the players ranging from $2,000 to $7,000 per rigged pitch. Both pitchers pleaded not guilty to charges including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and they now face the possibility of up to 65 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
The indictment details a troubling pattern that began in May 2023 and reportedly went undetected for nearly two years. Prosecutors allege that Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, often threw rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat. He is said to have deliberately thrown balls in the dirt and outside the strike zone to guarantee that umpires would call a ball rather than a strike. In one particularly brazen instance, during an April 2025 game against the Boston Red Sox, Clase allegedly spoke by phone with a bettor just before taking the mound. Minutes later, bettors won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would throw a pitch slower than 97.95 mph. According to the indictment, text message exchanges between Clase and the gamblers reveal the emotional toll of the scheme—at one point, a frustrated bettor sent Clase a GIF of a man hanging himself with toilet paper after a failed bet, to which Clase replied with a sad puppy dog face emoji.
Ortiz, who prosecutors say was recruited into the scheme by Clase earlier this year, also pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Chris Georgalis, has denied the charges, asserting that payments between Ortiz and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for legal activities. Both players are currently on non-disciplinary paid leave from the Guardians, a status they have held since July 2025, when MLB began investigating what it described as unusually high in-game betting activity during their appearances.
"Emmanuel Clase has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win," Clase’s lawyer Michael Ferrara said in a statement. Ferrara emphasized Clase’s voluntary return to the United States to face the charges, arguing, "His actions speak louder than words. He poses no risk of flight. He intends to stay through this." Clase was released on $600,000 bond after appearing in Brooklyn federal court on November 14, 2025, surrendering his passport and agreeing to GPS monitoring and travel restrictions. Ortiz posted a $500,000 bond. Both men are scheduled to appear in court again on December 2, 2025.
The fallout from the scandal has been swift and far-reaching. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, led by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, sent a formal letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred demanding answers about the league’s betting policies and its handling of the case. The committee described the allegations as a “new integrity crisis” and pressed MLB for documentation of other betting-related investigations since January 2020. Lawmakers expressed particular concern over how Clase’s alleged activities went undetected for nearly two years, contrasting it with the swift lifetime ban imposed on former major leaguer Tucupita Marcano for betting on baseball in 2024. “How did MLB catch Marcano and ban him for life but failed to notice Clase allegedly rigging pitches for two years?” the committee asked pointedly.
In response, MLB announced new restrictions on betting involving individual pitches. Major sportsbooks have agreed to cap such bets at $200 and to prohibit them from being included in parlays, aiming to reduce potential payouts and diminish the incentive for manipulation. The Guardians organization has pledged full cooperation with both law enforcement and MLB investigations. Both Clase and Ortiz continue to maintain their innocence through their attorneys.
Beyond the individual accusations, the case has cast a harsh spotlight on the Dominican Republic’s sports betting environment. The country boasts roughly 3,500 registered legal betting shops, but officials estimate that countless more operate illegally. Oscar Chalas, the Dominican Republic’s former director of casinos and gambling, recently admitted to collecting money from illegal betting shops to allow them to continue operating—each paying up to $100 a month. The prevalence of both legal and illegal betting underscores the challenge of regulating the industry and preventing corruption. As local teams and fans gear up for the Dominican Republic’s Professional Baseball League final early next year, betting activity is expected to surge even further. Earlier this year, Hall of Famer David Ortiz made headlines with a public bet of 1 million pesos (about $16,000) on the local league, ultimately having 15 million pesos (roughly $240,000) at stake.
The scandal has also reignited memories of past controversies in professional sports. For baseball fans, the specter of the 1919 Black Sox scandal—when eight Chicago White Sox players were accused of intentionally losing the World Series in exchange for bribes—still looms large. More recently, a gambling sweep last month led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including NBA coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, for alleged involvement in schemes involving leaked inside information and rigged games.
For many in the Dominican Republic, the accusations against Clase and Ortiz have been a source of embarrassment and frustration. "The case of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz tarnishes the image of Dominican baseball players," said José de los Santos, a prominent fan of Dominican and Major League Baseball. "Actions of that nature put Dominican and Latino players in the spotlight." The ongoing debate in the Dominican legislature over a bill to oversee and regulate gambling reflects the urgency of addressing the problem at its roots.
As the legal process unfolds, the baseball world awaits further developments. Both the integrity of the game and the reputations of those involved hang in the balance. With congressional scrutiny intensifying and MLB enacting new safeguards, the hope is that such scandals will become far less common. For now, all eyes remain fixed on the coming court date of December 2, when Clase and Ortiz will once again face the judge—and the harsh glare of the sporting world.
