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Emmanuel Clase's text to co-conspirator revealed after alleged plan to rig pitch went wrong and lost bettors cash READ MORE: Shocking scandal engulfs MLB legend with obscene claims By ISABEL BALDWIN, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Published: 14:53 GMT, 10 November 2025 | Updated: 14:53 GMT, 10 November 2025 Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase's communications with his alleged co-conspirators have been unveiled after he was indicted in a bombshell probe into rigged pitches. The closer, along with fellow pitcher Luis Ortiz are accused of agreeing in advance with co-conspirators on certain pitches during MLB games. Their co-conspirators would then allegedly use that information to place - and win - illegal bets worth thousands of dollars. However, that doesn't mean that their alleged fraudulent scheme always went according to plan. During a game on May 28, 2025, Clase and his conspiring bettor's plan went awry, according to the indictment. The Cleveland pitcher threw a pitch out of the strike zone, allegedly on purpose in accordance with the agreement he made with his co-conspirator, but Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages foiled their plan. Clase reportedly texted the bettor to confirm that he would participate in the scheme that day and the bettors allegedly wagered approximately $4,000 total that the first pitch that would be thrown would be a ball or a hit by pitch. One of MLB pitcher Emmanuel Clase's alleged illegal betting schemes went awry in May The closer is accused of agreeing in advance with co-conspirators on certain pitches Clase did throw the pitch low and outside the strike zone but Pages, who was reportedly at bat at the time, swung at the ball. The bettor and Clase subsequently exchanged a series of GIFs to express their disappointment. According to the indictment, approximately 20 minutes after the bettor lost the wager he sent Clase a text message with a GIF image of a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Around 10 minutes after the game, Clase allegedly responded with one of his own showing a 'sad puppy dog face' - despite the Guardians winning the game. A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client 'has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.' Clase is not yet in custody following the unsealing of the indictments, while Ortiz was arrested in Boston and is set to make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Monday, before being arraigned in Brooklyn, New York at a later date. They face multiple counts including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and bribery after being named in the indictment If found guilty, each player could face up to 65 years in prison. Prosecutors allege that Ortiz was paid $5,000 for throwing an intentional ball on June 15, with Clase given $5,000 for facilitating it. Clase threw a pitch out of the strike zone as agreed but Dodgers' Andy Pages swung at it It is alleged they then repeated the same process on June 27 for a payment of $7,000 apiece. All-Star closer Clase is alleged to have begun rigging prop bets around May 2023, while Ortiz is said to have joined the scheme in June of this year, per the indictment. Ortiz's lawyer Chris Georgalis denied in a statement that his client did anything wrong and said Ortiz 'has never, and would never, improperly influence a game.' 'There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court,' Georgalis said. Clase and Ortiz were previously placed on paid administrative leave by Major League Baseball in July. The pair were previously being investigated by the league itself, with a spokesperson revealing on Sunday that MLB chiefs immediately contacted federal law enforcement, 'fully cooperating throughout the process'. Ortiz, who was acquired by Cleveland in an offseason trade from Pittsburgh, was placed on paid leave on July 3, the same day he was scheduled to start against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The gambling probe drags baseball into the headlines just weeks after similar investigations were revealed involving players in the NBA and NFL. Luis Ortiz was arrested in Boston on Sunday morning for his alleged involvement in the scheme The FBI is currently investigating a Mafia-led gambling ring and it is alleged NBA insiders leaked private information to enable large bets to be made on games. A second part of the probe involves a network of rigged underground poker games, in which NBA and NFL players were paid to attend in a bid to entice 'victims' to play. Ex-NBA player Terry Rozier was arrested in connection with the insider betting scheme, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is alleged to be a co-conspirator in the poker ring, while ex-player Damon Jones is allegedly tied to both. More than 30 individuals across 11 US states have been indicted in connection with the ongoing probe. Cleveland GuardiansMLB Share or comment on this article: Emmanuel Clase's text to co-conspirator revealed after alleged plan to rig pitch went wrong and lost bettors cash Add comment
