Key Takeaways
- Two Major League Baseball pitchers are facing federal charges for allegedly rigging bets on specific pitches.
- The scheme involved coordinating with bettors to ensure predetermined outcomes on wagers related to pitch speed and type.
- The indictments highlight the increasing scrutiny on gambling activities within professional sports.
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on federal charges in New York, accused of participating in a scheme involving rigged bets on individual baseball pitches. Both Dominican right-handers had been on leave from MLB since July while the league investigated sports gambling allegations surrounding them.
Luis Ortiz was arrested in Boston on Sunday and is scheduled for a court appearance on Monday. Emmanuel Clase is not in custody. Prosecutors in Brooklyn have charged the 27-year-old closer, Clase, and the 26-year-old starter, Ortiz, with involvement in a conspiracy with corrupt bettors. The alleged scheme saw hundreds of thousands of dollars wagered on specific pitches. The charges include wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella stated, "Professional athletes, like Luis Leandro Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz, hold a position of trust -- not only with their teammates and their professional leagues, but with fans who believe in fair play." He added, "As alleged, the defendants sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches."
This announcement follows separate investigations into illegal gambling that led to the late October arrests of NBA figures Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups. In the baseball case, prosecutors claim the pitchers agreed in advance with co-conspirators on specific pitches they would throw. Bettors then used this inside information to place fraudulent wagers.
Prosecutors allege that Clase agreed to the scheme around May 2023, targeting "prop" bets on the speed and type of pitches he would throw. This coordination sometimes occurred during games. According to the indictment, Clase often threw these rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat. To ensure certain pitches were called balls, Clase allegedly threw many outside the strike zone. Clase reportedly received kickbacks from bettors for this information and sometimes provided funds to finance the operation.
One alleged rigged pitch occurred in New York during a game against the Mets. Prosecutors claim Clase's actions enabled his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $400,000 in fraudulent wagers. In June, Ortiz allegedly joined the conspiracy, agreeing to throw balls instead of strikes on certain pitches in two games in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.
Before a game on June 15, Ortiz reportedly agreed to throw a ball on a specific pitch for a $5,000 bribe, with Clase receiving a $5,000 bribe for arranging it. Ortiz allegedly agreed to another rigged pitch on June 27 for a $7,000 bribe for himself and another for Clase. In that instance, Clase allegedly withdrew $50,000 in cash and gave $15,000 to a co-conspirator to bet on Ortiz's rigged pitch, which reportedly resulted in at least $60,000 in winning wagers for the co-conspirators.
Each defendant faces potential maximum sentences of 20 years for wire fraud conspiracy and honest services wire fraud conspiracy, five years for conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and 20 years for money laundering conspiracy.
