Trial begins for Guardians pitchers accused of pitch-rigging gambling scheme
The trial for arguably the biggest baseball betting scandal since the Black Sox has begun. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were in federal court in Brooklyn on Monday, when jury selection commenced for a case in which prosecutors allege the former Guardians pitchers accepted bribes in a pitch-rigging scheme that won money for themselves and the gamblers with whom they colluded. Clase, a three-time All-Star and standout closer, and Ortiz, a four-year starting pitcher, are accused of tipping off bettors about their intentions with specific pitches to help their conspirators rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars. The pitchers have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.If convicted on all charges, they would face a maximum of 65 years in prison. Among the potential witnesses listed in a court filing are Guardians executives, such as general manager Mike Chernoff; coaches, such as pitching coach Carl Willis; and players, such as catchers Austin Hedges, Mike Zunino and Bo Naylor. Prosecutors have zeroed in on 18 pitches thrown from 2023-25 in which they charge Clase provided advance information to bettors about his intentions with the pitch, which would typically be delivered far outside the strike zone or they believe with a predetermined speed.
In one example from the indictment, during a May 19, 2023, game against the Mets at Citi Field, bettors allegedly won approximately $27,000 by wagering that a pitch thrown by Clase would be faster than 94.95 mph. The government alleged that Clase recruited Ortiz into the scheme in 2025 and said that bettors won at least $450,000 from pitches thrown by the two teammates.According to the indictment, bettors placed “over a hundred” straight bets and parlays on Clase’s pitches.
One — a pitch in the dirt that the Dodgers’ Andy Pages swung at — resulted in a betting loss. Clase was among t...