Ex-Cleveland Guardians pitchers, including star reliever, go to trial in New York on fraud charges

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will face trial on Monday, accused of accepting bribes while conspiring with gamblers to win substantial sums betting on individual pitches. The high-stakes jury trial, set to span a month in Brooklyn federal court, could impact their careers and potential freedom. Several baseball players and executives are expected to testify.

Both Clase and Ortiz have pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy charges and are on leave without pay from the team. According to indictment details, Clase allegedly began providing pitch information to Dominican gamblers in 2023, while Ortiz joined the scheme in 2025. The prosecutors claim the pitchers helped two gamblers from the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets related to pitch speed and outcomes.

Clase, a three-time All-Star with a $20 million, five-year contract, and Ortiz, a $782,600 earner in the 2025 season, are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiring to influence sporting events through bribery. Their defense lawyers will likely contend the pitchers were intentionally altering pitch placements to deceive batters instead of colluding with gamblers.

The judge dismissed evidence of Clase owing $500,000 in U.S. taxes, arguing it was provided too late to be relevant. Both Major League Baseball and the Guardians have cooperated with authorities, and MLB has stated it alerted federal law enforcement in response to suspicious betting patterns.