Major League Baseball is reeling after a bombshell scandal involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who stand accused of accepting bribes to rig pitches for the benefit of sports bettors. The allegations, which surfaced in early November 2025, have sent shockwaves through the baseball world, raising urgent questions about the integrity of the sport and the growing influence of legalized gambling.
The scandal broke wide open when a federal indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn, charging Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starting pitcher, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. According to prosecutors, the two pitchers allegedly accepted several thousand dollars in payoffs from two unnamed gamblers based in their native Dominican Republic. In return, they are accused of manipulating specific pitches during games, enabling the gamblers to win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets that hinged on the speed and outcome of individual pitches.
"Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us," said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr., underscoring the gravity of the charges. The indictment details how unusual betting activity surrounding certain Guardians games in April, May, and June 2025 triggered the initial investigation by Major League Baseball, which quickly escalated to involve federal law enforcement.
The specifics of the alleged scheme are both brazen and meticulously documented. In one cited case, Clase reportedly invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April 2025, spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound, and, four minutes later, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 after Clase threw a pitch slower than 97.95 mph as wagered. Other examples from the indictment include Clase throwing a 98.5 mph cutter to Starling Marte of the New York Mets on May 19, 2023, and bouncing an 89.4 mph slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers on June 3, 2023. Ortiz, for his part, is accused of joining the scheme in June 2023, rigging pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals, including bouncing first-pitch sliders to specific batters.
Both pitchers have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July 2025, when the league began investigating after betting firms flagged irregular activity tied to their performances. The Guardians organization responded quickly, stating, "We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue." MLB echoed this stance, emphasizing its commitment to integrity and its full cooperation with authorities.
The legal consequences for Clase and Ortiz are potentially severe. Each faces charges that could carry up to 20 years in prison, with Ortiz’s total possible sentence reaching 65 years if convicted on all counts. Ortiz, 26, was arrested by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport on November 10, 2025, and appeared in federal court in Boston the following day. He was released on a $500,000 bond, ordered to surrender his passport, restrict his travel to the Northeast, and avoid contact with potential witnesses or co-defendants. Clase, 27, was not in custody as of the indictment and is believed to be outside the United States.
Both players have vigorously denied the allegations. Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, stated, "Luis has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything." Georgalis emphasized that Ortiz’s defense team had previously documented for prosecutors that the payments and money transfers between Ortiz and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities. Clase’s lawyer, Michael J. Ferrara, echoed these sentiments: "Emmanuel has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court."
The financial stakes for the players were significant. Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, was in the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract and was slated to earn $4.5 million in 2025. Ortiz, meanwhile, had a $782,600 salary this year. Prosecutors allege that Clase began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 but only started requesting payoffs in 2025. Ortiz reportedly became involved in the scheme during the summer of 2023.
The scandal comes at a time when professional sports leagues are grappling with the ramifications of legalized sports betting across the United States. Since a landmark 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision struck down a federal ban on sports betting, online sportsbooks have become a prominent part of the sports ecosystem, and concerns about potential corruption have grown. This latest episode follows a recent federal crackdown on gambling in sports, which saw more than 30 individuals, including NBA figures like Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, arrested in a separate betting sweep.
In response to the Guardians scandal, Major League Baseball announced new measures to mitigate integrity risks associated with prop bets on individual pitches. On November 10, 2025, MLB declared that its authorized gaming operators would cap bets on individual pitches at $200 and exclude such bets from parlays. This policy, agreed to by sportsbook operators representing over 98% of the U.S. betting market, is designed to limit the incentive to manipulate one-off events that can be easily influenced by a single player and often have little bearing on the game’s outcome. "The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct," the league said in a statement.
The broader context cannot be ignored. Baseball has a storied history of gambling scandals, from the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919 to Pete Rose’s lifetime ban in the 1980s. Yet, the sport has largely avoided major betting controversies in recent decades, thanks in part to strict rules and vigilance. The Clase and Ortiz case, however, has reignited debate over whether the explosion of legal sports betting is undermining the integrity of the game. If convicted, both players could face lifetime bans from MLB, in addition to their legal penalties.
As the investigation continues and the baseball world waits for the next chapter in this unfolding drama, one thing is clear: the intersection of sports and gambling remains a high-stakes arena, where the actions of a few can cast a long shadow over the entire game. The Guardians, MLB, and fans everywhere are left hoping that swift justice and new safeguards will help restore trust in America’s pastime.