The Eastern District of New York is becoming the country’s unofficial epicenter of gambling prosecutions.
The same prosecutors who filed a sweeping indictment last month involving multiple NBA figures has now indicted a pair of pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians.
Via Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz face multiple charges (including fraud, conspiracy and bribery) arising from an effort to rig bets on pitches thrown in games.
Ortiz was arrested in Boston. Clase has not yet been detained. They allegedly face up to 65 years in prison, each.
The 23-page document accuses the pitchers of deliberately throwing balls, so that gamblers could place bets on balls vs. strikes. It allegedly began as early as May 2023, starting with Chase. Later, it included Ortiz.
Prosecutors specifically contend that Ortiz received $5,000 for throwing an intentional ball on June 15, with Clase getting $5,000 for facilitating the pitch. The duo allegedly did it again on June 27, in exchange $7,000 apiece.
Both players had been placed on paid leave during the 2025 season, pending an investigation by Major League Baseball. That probe now takes a back seat to one that jeopardizes the liberty of the two players.
Said MLB in a statement to ESPN.com: “MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process. We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.”
The situation underscores the perils of prop bets and microbets. Those can be easily manipulated by individual players. And, apparently, some players can be easily corrupted by gambling interests.
It may seem like easy money. The truth is there’s no such thing.
