NEW YORK – Two Major League Baseball pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, have been indicted on multiple serious charges linked to a betting scandal. They are accused of accepting bribes to inform sports bettors in advance about the types of pitches they planned to throw, along with deliberately throwing balls instead of strikes, ensuring favorable outcomes for the bets placed.
Both pitchers, aged 27 and 26, respectively, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July as the MLB investigated suspicious betting behaviors coinciding with their game appearances. The allegations have escalated to severe charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy, which could carry prison sentences of up to 20 years in case of convictions.
Ortiz was apprehended by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport on Sunday morning and is slated to appear in a Boston federal court the following day.
The MLB, in response to the indictments and ongoing investigations, stated it had contacted federal authorities upon discovering unusual betting activity and has been fully cooperating with them. We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing, the league emphasized in a public statement.
The Guardians released a statement acknowledging awareness of the law enforcement actions, reiterating their commitment to cooperate throughout the investigation.
Responses from the lawyers representing both players have been sparse, with Ortiz's legal counsel declining to comment, while Clase's attorney has not responded to requests for information.
