Guardians Pitchers emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz Indicted in Alleged Pitch Rigging Scheme
CLEVELAND - Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase and former Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz have been indicted on federal charges alleging they conspired to fix baseball pitches in exchange for bribe money, the Department of Justice announced today. The indictment details a multi-year scheme where the pitchers allegedly manipulated pitch outcomes to benefit bettors, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in illicit winnings.
According to the indictment, the scheme began as early as 2022, with Clase initially relaying facts that he would throw a pitch faster than 94.95 mph. Bettors reportedly won $27,000 on that pitch. Weeks later, a parlay bet was placed on a pitch being slower than 94.95 mph, winning bettors $38,000 when Clase spiked a slider significantly in front of home plate.
By April 2025, the indictment alleges clase “requested and received bribe and kickback payments in exchange for agreeing to throw specific pitches.” Following a pitch that fell approximately 10 feet short of home plate,Clase allegedly texted a bettor to inquire if they had wagered on the pitch,and subsequently requested funds be sent to the Dominican Republic “for repairs at the country house.”
Prosecutors state that over three years, one bettor placed 16 parlays centered around clase throwing a ball, with seven of the eight pitches involved proving accomplished. One such pitch was swung at by Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages.
Ortiz’s alleged involvement began on June 15, 2025, when he agreed to throw the first pitch of the second inning as a ball in exchange for $5,000. Clase allegedly received $5,000 for arranging the arrangement. Two bettors wagered a total of $13,000 on the pitch. Following the bet, Ortiz received 90,000 Dominican pesos (approximately $1,400), and Clase allegedly instructed him to falsely claim the money was “for a horse” if questioned. Ortiz reportedly responded, “Okay, perfect.”
On June 27, 2025, Ortiz allegedly agreed to throw the first pitch of the third inning as a ball for $7,000.Prosecutors claim bank security footage shows Clase withdrawing $50,000 in cash, $15,000 of which was given to a bettor in Cleveland to wager on the pitch. A total of $18,000 was reportedly placed on the pitch, which landed far outside the strike zone.
Luis Georgalis, representing Clase, disputed the indictment’s findings in a statement, asserting that payments and transfers of money were for “lawful activities.” He further stated the indictment “fully lacks any alleged evidence connecting Luis to these alleged bettors or demonstrating any purposeful involvement in a scheme,” and that the government’s case is “weak and circumstantial.”
“There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning,” the statement read. “Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court.He will defend himself, and he will prevail.”
clase has earned over $12 million during his seven-season Major League Baseball career and was slated to make $6.4 million in 2026. Ortiz earned $782,600 in 2025.
