Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase is accused of manipulating his performances in 48 MLB games over two years, according to a court document obtained by ESPN.
The new document significantly increases the number of games during which Clase was believed to have fixed his pitches.
Key Takeaways
- The original number of games Clase was believed to have rigged was nine.
- Luis Ortiz’s attorney asked that the cases be heard separately.
- Two anonymous bettors won more than $460,000 betting on pitch outcomes of Clase and Ortiz.
Clase was indicted for his role in the alleged betting scandal in November. The original unsealed documents accused the 27-year-old and three-time All-Star of manipulating his pitches in nine games.
Christos N. Georgalis, an attorney for teammate and alleged co-conspirator Luis Ortiz, claimed that the government believed the real number of games was in the dozens. He also asked in a filing that his client’s case be reviewed separately from Ortiz’s due to the “markedly different levels of culpability.”
“With 26 months of alleged criminal conduct by Mr. Clase -- including suspect pitches during 48 games, dozens of communications with [a bettor], cash transfers and coordination of illegal wagers, [Ortiz could receive an unfair trial].”
Unlike Clase, Ortiz was only believed to have rigged pitches in two games in June 2025.
Clase’s actions supposedly occurred from 2023 to 2025, according to the indictment. He made 197 regular-season appearances during that time, meaning that nearly 25% of them allegedly involved illegal activity.
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Piling accusations
Prosecutors claim that the two pitchers received thousands of dollars worth of bribes to help two anonymous gamblers in their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 in bets.
Both Clase and Ortiz allegedly fixed different aspects of their pitches, including whether a pitch would be a ball or a strike, or if it would be slower or faster than a given velocity.
In one instance, the government claims that a message sent in April 2025 led to bettors winning $15,000 by wagering a pitch would clock in at less than 98.5 miles per hour.
The judge in the case asked the government to provide Clase’s legal team with evidence of “at least 250” suspicious pitches so they could prepare for trial.
Clase and Ortiz pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery.
It was about … cockfighting?
In a unique defense, one man who bet on Clase’s pitches said he only traded messages with Clase about cockfighting, not sports betting, per the New York Times. The bettor said that he won money because he was familiar with his friend’s pitching tendencies, and that the money that was discussed was for a legal rooster fighting ring in the Dominican Republic.
Clase is in the fourth season of a five-year, $20-million contract. Ortiz joined the Guardians at the start of the 2025 season and made 16 appearances before he and his teammate were placed on non-disciplinary leave by MLB in July.
The trial is set to begin on May 4. Ortiz’s attorney has not received a response to his request for more time to prepare.
