Guardians’ Clase allegedly rigged pitches in 48 games, document says

Indicted Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase is accused of throwing suspicious pitches to benefit bettors in at least 48 games over two years, significantly more than was initially revealed by federal prosecutors, according to a court document filed Thursday.

Federal prosecutors listed nine games in which Clase allegedly threw rigged pitches in the indictment unsealed in November, but teammate and alleged co-conspirator Luis Ortiz’s attorney wrote in a filing that the government is accusing Clase of manipulating his performance in dozens of games.

ESPN has reached out to attorneys for Clase and Ortiz, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case. Major League Baseball referred ESPN to its initial statement in which it said it was cooperating with federal prosecutors and declined further comment.

Ortiz’s attorney, Christos N. Georgalis, asked in the filing for his client’s case to be severed from Clase’s, arguing that Ortiz and Clase have “markedly different levels of culpability,” and his client could not receive a fair trial otherwise.

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Federal prosecutors accused Ortiz of rigging pitches in two games in June 2025, while Clase allegedly conspired with bettors from 2023 to 2025, according to the indictment. In Thursday’s filing, Ortiz’s attorney pointed to this difference in scale and emphasized that the indictment did not contain evidence of Ortiz communicating directly with bettors.

Georgalis argued that a jury presented “with 26 months of alleged criminal conduct by Mr. Clase — including suspect pitches during 48 games, dozens of communications with [a bettor], cash transfers and coordination of illegal wagers” could find Ortiz guilty by association.

Clase appeared in 197 regular-season games from 2023 to July 2025, when he was put on non-disciplinary leave by MLB over the gambling inquiry. If the allegations are true, Clase would have manipulated his performance in a quarter of those games.

A separate court record shows that a judge asked the government to provide Clase’s attorneys with evidence regarding suspicious pitches so they can prepare for trial.

A record of the court proceeding states that Clase “has identified at least 250 pitches on which bets were placed, so the Court encouraged the government to disclose discovery to [Clase] as to any additional pitches that it alleges were included in the conspiracy.”

Clase and Ortiz pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, the two accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help two unnamed gamblers in the players’ native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of their pitches.

Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, was on the fourth season of a five-year, $20 million contract. Ortiz played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates before joining the Guardians in 2025, when he appeared in 16 games. MLB also placed him on non-disciplinary leave in July.

The case is scheduled for trial May 4, though Ortiz’s attorney has asked for additional time.