Cleveland Guardians pitchers Clase, Ortiz face pitch-fixing trial
The federal trial of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz began in Brooklyn on November 2, moving the alleged pitch-rigging scheme from pretrial proceedings to a jury trial. Both men have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges involving sports bribery, fraud, and money laundering.
The Eastern District of New York’s court calendar listed jury selection and trial before Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in case 25-CR-346. The calendar identifies both defendants as on bond. The criminal proceedings concern alleged coordination with gamblers over individual pitches, rather than an allegation that the pitchers agreed to determine the outcome of an entire baseball game. Robinson Vasquez Germosen was added to the case as a defendant.
Prosecutors allege that Clase began sharing advance information with bettors in 2023 and later brought Ortiz into the arrangement. The government says the information enabled bets on pitch speed, type, or whether a delivery would be called a ball. Those accusations remain to be proved at trial; neither pitcher has been convicted in the case.
Prosecutors focus on individual-pitch wagering
The original indictment, unsealed in November 2025, alleged that Clase received bribes and kickbacks for arranging pitches and sometimes supplied money to fund bets. It described bettors using information about pitches before they were thrown, including communications during MLB games. Prosecutors alleged that Clase-related wagers generated at least $400,000 in winnings for his associates.
The charges concerning Ortiz include two June 2025 games. Prosecutors alleged agreements to throw particular pitches outside the strike zone in exchange for payments, with Clase also receiving money for arranging the activity. The original Justice Department announcement attributed at least $60,000 in alleged fraudulent betting winnings to pitches thrown by Ortiz. These figures concern the government’s allegations, not court-ordered recoveries.
Trial reporting describes the pitchers as on unpaid, non-disciplinary leave and says their lawyers dispute the government’s account. Defense arguments are expected to distinguish deliberate cooperation with gamblers from legitimate changes in pitch selection or location intended to deceive batters. The proceedings are expected to include evidence about the players’ communications and betting activity.
The case proceeds on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The prosecution is being handled in the Eastern District of New York, where the original indictment was unsealed. The defendants remain presumed innocent unless and until the government proves its case.
