Major League Baseball has a long, sordid history with sports gambling, from the Black Sox scandal at the beginning of the 20th century to Pete Rose’s admission he bet on baseball 70 years later. But MLB is also now the latest American professional league to be linked with a federal investigation concerning the relatively recent wave of legalization in sports gambling after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were featured in an indictment that was unsealed on Sunday, Nov. 9.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy, for their alleged roles in a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown during MLB games, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The 23-page indictment alleges Ortiz and Cruz agreed in advance with their co-conspirators on specific pitches that they would throw in MLB games. The co-conspirators then used the information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on those pitches, with the winnings totaling at least $450,000.
Ortiz, through his attorney, denied the allegations and said ‘there is no credible evidence (Ortiz) knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning.’ Ortiz was arrested on Sunday in Boston and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court on Monday, Nov. 10. Clase, a three-time MLB All-Star, was not in custody as of Monday morning.
The same Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney’s Office that charged NBA player Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and others with basketball-related gambling offenses last month is handling this MLB case. The MLB allegations are considered the most serious gambling charges facing the sport since Rose was banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on games.
‘The defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services. They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime,’ Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, said in a statement.
Here’s a breakdown of what to know about this MLB gambling scandal involving Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, including a timeline of events and how their alleged illegal scheme worked:
How did MLB gambling scandal work?
The indictment alleges bettors wagered on the speed and type of pitches thrown by Clase, and later Ortiz as well, based on information they knew in advance by coordinating with Clase, sometimes even during MLB games. Clase often threw these rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat when he entered the game in relief, according to the investigation. To ensure certain pitches were called as balls, Clase threw sliders rather than fastballs or cutters, with many of them ending up in the dirt and well outside the strike zone.
The bettors used the inside information that Clase provided about his future pitches to wager thousands of dollars on more than 100 pitch speed and ball/hit by pitch prop bets and parlays at online sportsbooks, according to investigators. Ortiz joined Clase in the conspiracy to rig pitches by the 2025 MLB season, with the two pitchers receiving kickbacks and bribes, or placing bets for themselves by proxy in certain instances.
What does MLB gambling scandal mean for players?
If convicted on all four charges, both Clase and Ortiz could face up to 65 years in federal prison. They are also facing a ban from baseball for betting on MLB games and, in Clase’s case, allegedly using a cell phone during games.
MLB betting scandal timeline
All dates are from the Justice Department indictment related to the case.
May 19, 2023
Federal authorities allege May 2023 is around when Clase first agreed to rig prop bets regarding certain pitches he threw during MLB games, in coordination with a group of corrupt sports bettors. The first such incident cited in the indictment for Clase and Ortiz occurred on May 19 when the Cleveland Guardians faced the New York Mets at Citi Field. Clase gave advance notice about a specific pitch and a bettor won $27,000 after wagering a pitch thrown by Clase would be higher than 94.95 miles per hour, according to the investigation.
June 3, 2023
Clase is alleged to have tipped off co-conspirators about a specific pitch in advance and bettors won $38,000 via bets placed on Clase’s pitch to be a ball and thrown under 94.95 mph. The pitch by Clase allegedly involved in the bet was slower than 94.95 mph and bounced in the dirt well short of home plate, according to a video screenshot included in the indictment.
June 7, 2023
Several wagers were allegedly placed on Clase to throw a specific pitch that would be a ball and under 94.95 mph during a game between the Guardians and Boston Red Sox on this date after Clase gave advance notice he would do so. The bets totaled $58,000 in winnings when Clase’s pitch was recorded as less than 94.95 mph and again landed in the dirt well short of home plate.
Dec. 10, 2024
The Cleveland Guardians acquired pitcher Luis Ortiz in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
April 12, 2025
Federal authorities allege Clase began to receive kickback payments and bribes in exchange for throwing specific pitches around April 2025, with the first incident cited by the investigation on this date during a Guardians game against the Kansas City Royals. Several bettors allegedly won approximately $15,000 on bets placed on Clase to throw a pitch that was both a ball/HBP and under 98.45 mph.
Clase sent a series of text messages to an unnamed co-conspirator on April 13 in which the co-conspirator confirmed to Clase that wagers had been made and won. Clase then directed the co-conspirator to send money to the Dominican Republic, where Clase is from.
‘(S)end it as if it were someone else,’ Clase allegedly wrote in a text message. ‘… for repairs at the country house.’
April 25, 2025
Clase allegedly obtained tickets for a co-conspirator and bettor in the case to attend the Guardians-Red Sox game in Cleveland on this day, and then used his cell phone during the game as part of the illegal gambling scheme. At about 3:16 p.m. ET ‒ the game began around 1 p.m. ‒ Clase is accused of texting and then having a two-minute phone conversation with the bettor in attendance.
Four minutes after that, the bettor and several other unnamed co-conspirators allegedly involved in the scheme won about $11,000 on a wager that a specific Clase pitch would be slower than 97.95 mph. The bettor allegedly visited Clase at his Ohio residence before and after the game. MLB policy prohibits the usage of unapproved electronic devices such as cell phones during games.
May 11, 2025
The unnamed bettor again came to Clase’s Ohio residence before and after a game between the Guardians and Philadelphia Phillies. Using advance and inside information from Clase, the bettor and his associates allegedly won about $11,000 by placing prop bets that a specific pitch by Clase would be a ball/hit by pitch.
May 13, 2025
The indictment alleges Clase provided money to an unnamed bettor to place wagers on Clase’s specific pitches on his behalf for a Guardians game against the Milwaukee Brewers on this day. Several unnamed co-conspirators allegedly won about $3,500 by betting a specific pitch by Clase would be both a ball and slower than 99.45 mph. One of the bettors visited Clase that night at his Ohio residence.
Clase, according to the investigation, had transferred approximately $2,500 to an individual, who subsequently transferred the money to the bettor who visited Clase’s home.
May 17, 2025
During a game between the Guardians and Cincinnati Reds on this date, Clase allegedly sent a text message to a bettor at 8:24 p.m. ET asking if the bettor was ‘ready.’ The game started at approximately 6:40 p.m. ET. About 10 minutes later, the bettor and several others allegedly won about $10,000 by placing multiple bets that a specific pitch by Clase would be both a ball/hit by pitch and thrown slower than 97.95 mph. Three days later, text messages obtained by investigators show Clase sending bank information to the bettor involved.
‘Let me know when you send the thing,’ Clase allegedly wrote in a text message. ‘I will start with 2,000.’
May 28, 2025
Between 2023 and 2025, bettors involved are alleged to have placed 16 parlay bets in which one leg of each parlay was eight specific pitches by Clase would be a ball or hit by pitch. It was successful but for one pitch on this day, according to the indictment.
About 10 minutes before the start of a Guardians game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 1 p.m. ET, an unnamed bettor in the case and Clase exchanged text messages in which Clase confirmed he was ‘all set.’ At about 3:36 p.m., two bettors involved in the investigation placed bets totaling $4,000, including a parlay bet, that a specific pitch by Clase would be a ball or hit by pitch.
Clase threw a pitch that appeared to be a ball, according to the indictment, but Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages swung and the bettors lost their wager. About 20 minutes later, the bettor that texted Clase before the game sent a text message with a .gif of a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Ten minutes after that, according to investigators, Clase responded with a .gif of a sad puppy dog face.
June 15, 2025
The indictment alleges Ortiz joined the scheme with Clase around June 2025 and agreed in advance to throw balls instead of strikes before a Guardians game against the Seattle Mariners on June 15 in exchange for bribes. Ortiz was the scheduled starting pitcher in the game. The bettors agreed to pay Ortiz a $5,000 bribe for throwing the rigged pitch and Clase a $5,000 bribe for arranging the rigged pitch, according to the indictment.
The investigation included text messages and a phone call exchanged prior to the game between Clase and an unnamed bettor. The bettors allegedly won a payout of $26,000 after placing several wagers on a specific pitch by Ortiz.
An associate of Clase then corresponded with one of the unnamed bettors involved on June 16, according to the indictment, and directed the bettor to electronically transfer $10,000 in smaller increments. Clase later exchanged text messages with the bettor and Ortiz in which all parties confirmed the delivery method.
June 18, 2025
Ortiz sent text messages to Clase in which he included a photograph of an identification card for an individual in the Dominican Republic and wrote: ‘Clase, tell them to put the 90 thousand pesos there are and to keep the other ones,’ according to the indictment. ‘Keep the 200 and the 90 to that person today please.’
The next day, Clase sent Ortiz a photo of a wire transfer receipt for 90,000 pesos as well as an audio message in which he directed Ortiz and his associates to lie about the purpose of the funds.
‘They’re going to ask him what is that payment for over there,’ Clase allegedly said. ‘Tell them that this is payment for a horse. You got that.’ Ortiz later responded, ‘Okay, perfect.’
June 27, 2025
Federal authorities allege Ortiz again rigged a pitch with co-conspirators before a Guardians game against the St. Louis Cardinals on this day. Ortiz agreed with his co-conspirators to throw a ball in exchange for a $7,000 bribe from the bettors for throwing the rigged pitch. Clase received a $7,000 bribe for arranging the rigged pitch, according to the indictment.
Clase was captured on bank security camera footage withdrawing $50,000 in cash before the game and provided $15,000 to a co-conspirator. That same co-conspirator was captured on camera depositing $15,000 at the same bank branch approximately one hour later. That money was allegedly used to wager on Ortiz’s rigged pitch during the game, with a payout of about $37,000 when Ortiz successfully threw a ball. In total, by rigging pitches for bribes, Ortiz caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $60,000 in fraudulent wagers in June 2025, according to the investigation.
July 28, 2025
Aug. 31, 2025
MLB, after an agreement with the MLBPA, announced Clase and Ortiz would remain on non-disciplinary paid leave ‘until further notice’ with the sports betting investigation still ongoing. Clase and Ortiz are allowed to contact the Guardians organization while on leave, but don’t have access to team facilities.
Nov. 9, 2025
The Justice Department announced it unsealed indictments for Clase and Ortiz related to their alleged roles in an illegal MLB betting and gambling scheme.
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