Guardians pitchers face trial on pitch-fixing charges

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, former pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, stand trial in Brooklyn federal court starting Monday. The two men face charges of accepting bribes to help gamblers win wagers on specific pitches.

Prosecutors allege that Clase provided information to two bettors from the Dominican Republic beginning in 2023. They claim he recruited Ortiz into the scheme in 2025. The indictment states the players accepted several thousand dollars in payoffs. This collusion helped the bettors win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets involving pitch speed and outcome.

Clase, 28, served as the team's closer. He was a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year. He had completed his fourth season of a five-year contract worth $20 million when the charges surfaced in November 2025. Ortiz, 27, was a starting pitcher who earned $782,600 during the 2025 season. Both players have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges and are currently on nondisciplinary leave without pay.

Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto presided over a conference Friday. She stated she hopes to finish jury selection quickly so attorneys can deliver opening statements that afternoon. The trial is expected to last approximately one month. Witnesses are scheduled to include professional baseball players, catchers, and executives.

The defense argues the pitchers were not colluding. Their lawyers say the players were strategically varying pitch placement to deceive batters. On Friday, the judge ruled that prosecutors cannot show the jury evidence that Clase owed $500,000 in U.S. taxes. The judge determined the government missed the deadline to provide this information to the defense.

A prosecutor argued the tax debt evidence was needed to counter claims that Clase had no financial incentive to fix games. Clase's lawyers contend he had several million dollars in accounts in the Dominican Republic. The players are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.

Major League Baseball and the Guardians stated they have fully cooperated with authorities. MLB said it contacted federal law enforcement after its investigation revealed unusual betting activity.