Copyright The Boston Globe
NEW YORK — Two MLB pitchers were indicted Sunday on charges they took bribes to give sports bettors advance notice of the types of pitches they’d throw and intentionally tossed balls instead of strikes to ensure successful bets. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, both of whom pitched for the Guardians, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July while Major League Baseball investigated unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Clase, 27, and Ortiz, 26, were both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison in the event of a conviction. Ortiz was arrested by the FBI on Sunday morning at Boston Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Advertisement Major League Baseball said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating the unusual betting activity and “has fully cooperated” with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” its statement said. In a statement, the Guardians said: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action, We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.” A lawyer for Ortiz declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press and a lawyer for Clase did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The indictment explains how Clase, and later Ortiz, conspired with bettors to rig pitches by telling those bettors they planned to throw balls in certain situations. The indictment notes two instances in which Clase pitched against the Red Sox and threw balls. One was in a June 7, 2023, game in Cleveland. The bettor working with Clase, who was not named in the indictment, won approximately $58,000 after allegedly getting advance information on the pitch Clase would throw to a Boston batter. The bettor placed a bet that the pitch would be a ball and be slower than 94.95 mph. The pitch landed in the dirt. Advertisement On April 26, 2025, according to the indictment, Clase got tickets for the bettor to attend a Red Sox-Guardians game. During the game, Clase texted the bettor — using a phone in-game is a violation of MLB rules — and the pair also spoke on the phone. The bettor and others won approximately $11,000 by betting that a Clase pitch would be slower than 97.95 mph.
