Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase have been indicted on charges related to a sports betting conspiracy scheme. The pitchers, who were placed on leave by MLB in July as they were being investigated, are accused of conspiring with bettors on proposition bets related to what pitches they would throw. “The defendants agreed in advance with co-conspirators to throw specific types and speeds of pitches, and their co-conspirators used that inside information to place wagers on those bets,” reads the indictment. In one instance, Clase allegedly tried to intentionally throw a ball but the batter swung, resulting in a strike. A bettor allegedly texted Clase a GIF of a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Clase replied with a GIF of a “sad puppy dog face.” Clase, the Guardians’ closer, had allegedly been part of the scheme since 2023, and Ortiz allegedly joined in June of this year. Clase and Ortiz are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. The pair could face 65 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
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