Former Guardians Pitchers Begin Fraud Trial in Brooklyn

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, former pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, began a federal jury trial in Brooklyn on Monday. They stand accused of colluding with two Dominican Republic-based gamblers to accept bribes in exchange for pitch information. The prosecutors claim this scheme allowed the bettors to win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets regarding pitch speed and outcome.

The two defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. While their cases are being decided, both men are on nondisciplinary leave from the Guardians without pay. Clase, 28, served as the team’s closer and is a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year. Ortiz, 27, pitched as a starter and earned $782,600 during the 2025 season.

According to the indictment, Clase started providing pitch details to the bettors in 2023. He later recruited Ortiz into the arrangement in 2025. Lawyers for Ortiz attempted to have him tried separately from Clase, but that motion was denied. The trial is expected to last approximately one month in federal court.

The pitchers face four counts: wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. Defense attorneys plan to argue that the players were not colluding with gamblers. Instead, they will contend that the pitchers were simply varying their pitch placement strategically to deceive batters.

Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto ruled on Friday that prosecutors cannot present evidence showing Clase owed $500,000 in U.S. taxes. The judge cited a deadline violation, noting the government provided this evidence to the defense only days before the trial began. A prosecutor argued the tax debt was necessary to counter defense claims that Clase had little financial incentive to collude because he held several million dollars in accounts in the Dominican Republic.

Major League Baseball and the Guardians have stated they fully cooperated with authorities. MLB officials said they contacted federal law enforcement after investigating unusual betting activity. Several professional baseball players, including catchers and executives, are expected to testify during the proceedings.