Amid MLB investigations into nefarious sports betting activity, the Cleveland Guardians cleared out the lockers of pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, The Athletic’s Zach Meisel reported.
Ortiz and Clase were on the mound at separate times when sportsbooks detected suspiciously large amounts of money and tickets were placed on the outcome of individual pitches.
Key Takeaways
- Sportsbooks noted suspicious patterns linked to Clase and Ortiz throwing balls on individual pitches.
- According to Foolish Baseball, Clase “wasted” more than three times his normal amount of pitches to start the ninth inning.
- Clase was expected to fetch a massive haul as a trade piece at the deadline last month.
Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary leave on July 3, while Clase was given the same designation on July 29.
The Guardians reportedly did not provide a reason why they emptied the lockers of their players on Friday, Aug. 1. On one hand, the decision could’ve been made to preserve the team’s focus on the players inside the locker room. At the same time, the possibility exists that there have been behind-the-scenes developments in the scandal that implicated both players.
Both players will be on leave through at least Aug. 31, and that date can be extended if the league has not finished its investigation.
What does the scandal involve?
Ortiz was pitching against the Seattle Mariners on June 15 when sportsbook integrity firm Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) reported abnormal betting activity in micro-betting markets.
IC360 found a significantly higher number of tickets and betting handle devoted to the outcome of Ortiz’s first pitch in the second inning, which was a slider that was miles off the strike zone. IC360 noted a similar development on June 27 during a game against the Cardinals, when sportsbooks noted an uptick in activity for Ortiz’s first pitch of the third inning to be a ball or a hit batter.
Unsurprisingly, Ortiz’s pitch was also a slider that was nowhere close to the plate.
Lightning struck twice when IC360 reported similar trends involving Clase, a three-time All-Star from 2022-24.
According to Foolish Baseball (@foolishBB on X), 17.5 percent of Clase’s first pitches in the ninth inning are considered “waste pitches,” or attempts that aren’t close to the strike zone, by Statcast. Clase had only a 5.2 percent waste pitch rate for all other attempts.
Although a determination has not been reached, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said last week that he wants the Ohio Casino Control Commission to ban sportsbooks from offering prop bets due to their potential for illicit interference and the increase in harassment they cause.
If either player is found guilty of manipulating their performances for the benefit of sports bettors, they will be subject to a lifetime ban based on Rule 21 of the MLB rulebook.
Clase could’ve been traded
Clase’s suspension came at an extremely inopportune time for the Guardians. The 27-year-old, who has a 1.88 career ERA, is one of the best closers in MLB and was expected to be in high demand at the trade deadline, which closed at 6 p.m. ET on July 31.
The Guardians, who were 53-54 on the day of Clase’s suspension, weren’t an obvious contender and could have been convinced to move off of Clase in exchange for a hefty haul.
Elsewhere around the league, closers David Bednar, Jhoan Duran, and Mason Miller were all traded for substantial compensation. The Guardians also traded former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber and reliever Paul Sewald.
