Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, have been accused of accepting bribes from sports bettors to manipulate their pitches, deliberately throwing balls instead of strikes to influence the outcome of bets. The allegations were revealed in a federal court indictment unsealed in Brooklyn, stating that Clase and Ortiz assisted bettors from the Dominican Republic in winning prop bets by intentionally throwing slower pitches off-target.
Both pitchers have been on paid leave without disciplinary action since July, following suspicions of unusual betting patterns during their games, prompting a Major League Baseball investigation. Ortiz, 26, was apprehended by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston. Clase, 27, remains at large, as per authorities.
Legal representatives for the players have refrained from commenting on the matter. Clase and Ortiz face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting events through bribery, and money laundering conspiracy, with potential prison sentences of up to 20 years if convicted.
These charges mark the latest in a series of crackdowns on sports betting-related scandals within professional sports. The landscape shifted notably after a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in several states, leading to an increase in incidents involving athletes and officials.
In a similar vein, a recent gambling sweep resulted in the arrests of over 30 individuals, including notable basketball personalities like Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat. The NBA has since initiated a review of its policies in response to the arrests.
Major League Baseball has been proactive in collaborating with federal authorities during the investigation, stating that they have been fully cooperative. The Guardians have also pledged their cooperation with law enforcement and MLB as the investigations progress.