The sports betting scandal has rocked Major League Baseball with the indictment of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. Federal prosecutors allege that both players participated in an illegal betting scheme, pre-arranging the type of pitches they would make to favor specific bets.
The indictment details that the players coordinated with co-conspirators to place “hundreds of fraudulent bets” on the exact actions that would occur in the box. The charges they face are serious, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery, as well as money laundering.
Emmanuel Clase’s message that commits him to serious accusation
The plan, which Clase allegedly began around May 2023, was not always successful. An example of this occurred on May 28, 2025, during a game between the Guardians and the Dodgers. Clase and the bettors had wagered approximately $4,000 that the first pitch would be a ball or a hit to the batter. The pitch was intentionally low and out of the strike zone, but Dodgers batter Andy Pages swung, ruining the bet.
This failure led to a tense text communication, which is now part of the evidence. According to the indictment: “Approximately 20 minutes after Bettor-1 lost the bet on May 28, 2025, Bettor-1 sent a text message to defendant EMMANUEL CLASE DE LA CRUZ with a GIF image of a man hanging himself with toilet paper.”
Clase’s response was equally graphic, though more pathetic: “approximately 10 minutes later, CLASE responded to Bettor-1 with a GIF image of a sad puppy face“.
Luis Ortiz denies involvement
While Clase and Ortiz have been on paid, non-disciplinary leave since July, Ortiz’s defense has been emphatic in denying any wrongdoing.
Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, issued a statement defending his client’s integrity: “There is no credible evidence that Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and every inning.” In addition, Georgalis noted that: “Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court.”
This scandal adds to a recent wave of sports betting-related controversies that have already affected the NBA in recent weeks, highlighting growing concern about integrity in professional sport.
Read the full article here
