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The trial for former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz begins today in Brooklyn, New York. They are accused of accepting bribes to help gamblers by rigging pitches, according to WRAL. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges including wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sports contests by bribery.
Prosecutors allege that Clase and Ortiz took several thousand dollars in payoffs to assist gamblers from their native Dominican Republic in winning at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets. The scheme allegedly involved Clase providing advance information on his pitches, which were often sliders thrown low, to bettors. Ortiz's attorneys claim that Clase informed bettors of Ortiz's pitching tendencies without his knowledge.
The trial is expected to last a month, with several professional baseball players and executives among the witnesses. WKYC reports that a fourth defendant, Luis Arismendy Paca Mendez, was extradited from the Dominican Republic and appeared in court as part of the case. He is accused of wire fraud conspiracy and making false statements to the FBI.
The indictment details how Clase and his co-conspirators used coded language to communicate about which pitches would be rigged. Paca Mendez and another co-defendant allegedly used terms like "rooster" and "chicken" to pass inside information to a network of gamblers.
Both Clase and Ortiz remain on non-disciplinary leave from the Guardians and have not played since the summer of 2025. If convicted, they face decades in prison and a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball.