Emmanuel Clase finds himself at the center of a federal investigation that has sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball.
The Cleveland Guardians closer, along with teammate Luis Ortiz, was indicted by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn on charges of accepting bribes to manipulate pitches during games. The Feds say that both pitchers were part of an elaborate, underhanded scheme that started in May 2023. They took payments from gamblers to throw specific types of pitches at predetermined moments.
According to court documents, the conspiracy enabled bettors to place wagers with advance knowledge of which pitches would be thrown, thereby giving them an unfair advantage in prop betting markets. Federal authorities arrested Ortiz in Boston on Sunday morning, while Clase remains out of custody despite being named in the same indictment.
🚨 BREAKING: The Trump DOJ has indicted Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz for their involvement in a rigged betting scheme in which they “agreed in advance with co-conspirators on specific pitches they would throw” in games. pic.twitter.com/x2vpu8TJPg
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) November 9, 2025
Both players face potential sentences of up to 65 years in prison if convicted on all charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and accepting bribes in connection with sporting events. The MLB scandal represents just one piece of a broader crisis engulfing professional sports betting.
In October, the NBA was rocked by its own gambling controversy when Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were arrested by federal agents.
Rozier stands accused of conspiring with associates to manipulate his statistical performance in games, allowing gamblers to win bets based on his rebounds, assists and other metrics.
The indictment alleges that in three separate games, Rozier intentionally removed himself from contests or altered his play to benefit the betting scheme. Billups faces charges related to his involvement in illegal poker operations with alleged ties to organized crime families.
The former NBA Finals MVP was arrested at his Portland residence and has been placed on indefinite leave by the Trail Blazers organization.
Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested in connection with the basketball gambling ring, which federal prosecutors describe as having connections to traditional organized crime syndicates operating in multiple states.
The timing of these scandals has created a perfect storm for professional sports leagues, which have embraced legalized sports betting as a revenue source in recent years. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the crisis during a recent press conference, acknowledging the challenges facing the sport.
“We didn’t ask to have legalized sports betting,” Manfred told reporters. “It kind of came, and that’s the environment in which we operate.”
Both the NBA and MLB have implemented strict policies prohibiting players, coaches and team personnel from betting on games involving their respective sports. The leagues also maintain extensive monitoring systems designed to detect unusual betting patterns that might indicate manipulation.
The Cleveland Guardians organization released a statement expressing disappointment over the allegations against their players while promising to cooperate with federal investigators.
The team has placed both Clase and Ortiz on administrative leave pending the outcome of legal proceedings.
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