Okay, hear’s โคa breakdown โขof โขthe key information from the provided text,โค organizedโค for โฃclarity:
The โCore Issue:
* โ MLB players Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted and arrested in connection with a gambling examination.They are accusedโค of potentiallyโ influencingโค the outcome ofโข pitches to alignโค withโฃ betting activity.
Key Players & Theirโ Statements:
* Emmanuel Clase: His agent,Michael Ferrara,maintains Clase is “innocent of all charges” and will fight to clear his name.
* Luis Ortiz: His attorney, โChris Georgalis, โฃstrongly asserts Ortiz’s innocence, stating he “never…improperly influence a โคgame.” The defenseโข argues payments were forโ lawful activities and there’s no evidence linkingโค Ortiz to bettors or a scheme. They call โthe government’s case “weak and circumstantial.”
* MLB: The league states they โฃfully cooperated with federal law enforcement andโค their investigationโ is ongoing.
* โข Cleveland Guardians: The team is cooperating โwith bothโ law โenforcement โขand MLB.
* Stephen Vogt (Guardians โฃManager): Believes players are well-informed about the rules regardingโข gambling.
* Chris Antonetti (Guardians President): Agrees players are aware ofโ the rules.
Timeline of โคEvents:
* Late June: The Ohio casino Control Commission alerted to irregular betting activity on Ortiz’s outings.
*โ โค July 3: Ortiz placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as MLB investigated potential pitch-dictating.
* July 28: Clase placed on non-disciplinary paid leave. The Guardians wereโข considering trading Clase, but this became impossibleโฃ with theโ leave.
* August & Beyond: The league extended the leaves ofโ absence for both players indefinitely.
* Recent: Indictmentโข and arrest of Clase โคand Ortiz.
Relevant MLB Rules:
* Rule 21d(2): Betting on a game in which a player has a duty to perform results in permanent ineligibility.
* Rule 21d(3): Betting with illegal bookmakers can โresult in penalties resoluteโ by the Commissioner.
* โThese rules are prominently displayed in MLB clubhouses.
Context & Significance:
* Clase was โคa highly successful closer (Cy Young finalist, All-Star).
* Ortiz was a recent acquisition the Guardians hoped would become a key starting pitcher.
* The investigation initially led MLBโฃ to believe no other players or personnel would be impacted, but this is now uncertain.
Disclaimer: The Athletic hasโ a commercial partnership with BetMGM, which is noted at the end of the article.
Let me know if you’d likeโค me to elaborate on any specific aspect of this information.
