Federal Court Begins Trial of Two Guardians Pitchers in Betting Scandal

Two former Cleveland Guardians pitchers stand in federal court in Brooklyn to answer for a scheme that allegedly turned their pitching decisions into a betting tool.

The jury trial for Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz began on Monday. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of conspiracy. They remain on non-disciplinary leave from the Guardians without pay while the legal process unfolds. The proceedings are expected to continue for approximately one month in New York.

Prosecutors claim the pitchers accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from two gamblers in the Dominican Republic. The indictment states these bets targeted the speed and outcome of specific pitches. The gamblers won at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets. Clase allegedly began sharing information in 2023. He recruited Ortiz into the arrangement in 2025. Ortiz’s legal team attempted to secure a separate trial but lost that motion.

Clase, 28, served as the Guardians’ closer. He is a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year. He was in the final year of a five-year, $20 million contract when the charges surfaced in November 2025. Ortiz, 27, earned $782,600 as a starting pitcher during the 2025 season. The defendants face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.

Defense attorneys plan to argue that the pitchers were not colluding with gamblers. They will contend that varying pitch placement was a strategic effort to deceive batters. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto ruled on Friday that prosecutors cannot show the jury evidence of Clase’s $500,000 US tax debt. The government provided that evidence to the defense after the deadline for sharing documents had passed. A prosecutor argued the tax debt was necessary to counter claims that Clase had no financial incentive to cheat due to his assets in the Dominican Republic.

The judge indicated she hopes to complete jury selection quickly. This would allow lawyers to deliver short opening statements in the afternoon. Several professional baseball players, including catchers and executives, are expected to testify. MLB and the Guardians stated they fully cooperated with authorities. MLB contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity.

The trial marks the first major legal test for the players involved in this specific betting ring. The outcome will determine whether the pitchers return to active duty or face potential incarceration.