Guardians pitchers: Clase and Ortiz face fraud trial

Former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz begin a jury trial on Monday in Brooklyn federal court. They face multiple charges stemming from an alleged scheme to accept bribes from gamblers. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy counts.

According to the indictment, the pitchers took several thousand dollars in payoffs from two men from the Dominican Republic. In exchange, they provided specific information about upcoming pitches. Prosecutors say this collaboration helped the bettors win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets related to pitch speed and outcome.

Clase, 28, was the team's closer and a three-time All-Star. He had completed his fourth season on a five-year, $20 million contract when the charges surfaced in November 2025. Ortiz, 27, was a starting pitcher who earned $782,600 during the 2025 season. Both men remain on the club's roster but are serving nondisciplinary leave without pay.

The defense plans to argue that the pitchers were not colluding with gamblers. Their lawyers will contend that the players were simply varying pitch placement strategically to confuse batters. Ortiz's legal team previously sought a separate trial but did not succeed in that motion.

Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto ruled on Friday that prosecutors cannot present evidence to the jury regarding $500,000 in unpaid U.S. taxes owed by Clase. She cited a late turnover of documents to the defense as the reason for the exclusion. A prosecutor had intended to use the tax debt to counter claims that Clase had little financial incentive to cheat because of his savings in the Dominican Republic.

The trial is expected to last about a month. Several professional baseball players, including catchers and executives, are scheduled to testify. Judge Matsumoto stated her goal is to finish jury selection quickly so opening statements can be delivered in the afternoon on the first day.

Major League Baseball and the Guardians have stated that they have fully cooperated with authorities. The league said it contacted federal law enforcement after beginning an investigation into unusual betting activity. The pitchers face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.