It’s not just the NBA that has been rocked by gambling scandals, as the MLB has now followed suit. It’s not new information that two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were under investigation for potentially being involved in betting on their games or performances, but news has officially broken that they were both indicted for it, and they could face extreme penalties for their crimes.

Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz indicted for betting scandals

Late last month, NBA star Terry Rozier and NBA coach Chauncey Billups were both arrested for gambling infractions, with Rozier coming under fire for his role in bettors taking the under on him before he exited the game with a supposed injury. Now, two MLB players are facing similar punishments.

After an investigation, Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged with fraud, conspiracy, and bribery. This came from an alleged scheme to rig individual pitches that led to gamblers winning hundreds of thousands in gambling scores. The same attorney’s office that arrested Rozier and Billups also brought the charges against Ortiz and Clase.

According to ESPN reporter Jeff Passan, Clase made a deal with a bettor as early as May 2023 to throw specific pitches for balls. By taking the prop bet that Clase would, for example, start the at-bat with a ball and not a strike, the gambler was able to make a lot of money, and for a while, it went unnoticed. It’s difficult to throw strikes consistently, so throwing a ball after entering the game wasn’t noteworthy.

The prosecution claims that Ortiz was brought into the picture in May 2025. Thanks to the two pitchers, bettors won at least $450,000 for taking those props. Clase and Ortiz were given some money for their role in the scandal.

Both Guardians players are facing serious prison sentences. They could get 20 years for each charge of wire fraud conspiracy, honest service wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy, as well as five more years for influencing sporting events with bribery. They could get 65 years total.

“The defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services,” Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said in a statement. “They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime. Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”

Clase’s lawyer denies the allegations, though. He stated, ” has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.” Ortiz’s lawyers also denied the charges, claiming he hasn’t and wouldn’t “improperly influence a game.”

It’s unclear what legal ramifications the pitchers will actually face. Prison is possible but not guaranteed. Regardless, they will likely not be allowed back into the MLB again. In Clase’s case, this means baseball is losing one of the best relief pitchers in history. He has the lowest ERA among qualifying pitchers in baseball history with a career mark of 1.88. In 2024, he was on another planet and made a strong Cy Young Award case despite it being primarily a starting pitcher’s award. He recorded a 0.61 ERA all season and was a crucial reason the Guardians made the ALCS that year. Ortiz is lesser known, but the Guardians still missed both of them after they were deemed ineligible this year amid the investigation, because they fell short of getting back to the ALCS.