MLB Pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz Face Trial in 'Spot-Fixing' Scandal

Former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are set to go on trial Monday, accused of accepting bribes to collude with gamblers who profited hundreds of thousands of dollars by betting on individual pitches in Major League Baseball (MLB) games. The jury trial, expected to last a month in New York’s Brooklyn federal court, will determine their careers and potentially their freedom. Several professional baseball players, catchers, and baseball executives are anticipated to testify.

Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. They are currently on unpaid, non-disciplinary leave from the club. According to the indictment, the pitchers allegedly received thousands of dollars in payoffs to assist two gamblers from their native Dominican Republic in winning at least $460,000 through in-game prop bets concerning the speed and outcome of specific pitches. Prosecutors claim Clase began sharing pitch information with bettors in 2023 and enlisted Ortiz in the scheme in 2025. Ortiz’s legal team unsuccessfully attempted to have his trial separated from Clase’s.

Judge Kiyo A Matsumoto indicated last Friday that she aims to expedite jury selection to allow for brief opening statements on Monday afternoon. Clase, 28, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, was completing his fourth season of a five-year, $20 million contract when the charges against the pitchers were revealed in November 2025. Ortiz, 27, earned $782,600 as a starting pitcher for the Guardians during the 2025 season.

The charges include wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery. Defense attorneys are expected to argue that the pitchers did not conspire with gamblers but rather strategically altered pitch placements to deceive batters. On Friday, the judge ruled that prosecutors could not present evidence of Clase owing $500,000 in US taxes, as the evidence was submitted to the defense lawyers too late, after the deadline for evidence disclosure.

A prosecutor had argued that this evidence was crucial to counter any defense claim that Clase lacked incentive to collude due to his substantial financial accounts in the Dominican Republic. MLB and the Cleveland Guardians have stated their full cooperation with authorities. MLB confirmed it alerted federal law enforcement upon detecting unusual betting activity.