Two Cleveland Pitchers Indicted For Alleged Baseball Game-Fixing

The baseball careers of Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis L. Ortiz could be over after both were indicted for allegedly fixing major-league games.

The pair were indicted Nov. 9 after a lengthy investigation that began in July when they were placed on paid administrative leave. Ortiz has since been arrested, though Clase is still at large.

Charges include wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests via bribery.

If convicted, both are virtually certain to be banned for life by Major League Baseball, which has strict rules against gambling on games. They would also face up to 65 years in prison if found guilty on all charges.

Recent NBA Scandal

The worst scandal to hit the game since Pete Rose was handed a lifetime suspension for gambling while managing the Cincinnati Reds, the new debacle follows by just two weeks a pro basketball gambling expose that resulted in the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier,

According to the indictment against him, Clase agreed to begin rigging “prop” bets on particular pitches early in the 2023 season and at times “received bribes and kickbacks.”

Ortiz, with whom Clase shared the Cleveland clubhouse, allegedly joined the game-fixing scheme five months ago.

Baseball’s Rule 21, posted in every clubhouse, specifically warns against betting on baseball.

Enacted in 1927, seven years after the Black Sox Scandal ensnared eight players of the Chicago White Sox accused of throwing the 1919 World Series to Cincinnati, Rule 21 bans players, umpires, executives, owners, and officials from betting on games in which they have a duty to perform. The penalty is permanent disqualification from all baseball activities.

Prop Bets

Unlike the late Rose, who was accused of betting on the outcome of games, the Cleveland pitchers were allegedly involved in prop (or proposition) bets, wagers on outcomes other than scores. Deliberately throwing poor pitches – such as wild pitches that could score runners or down-the-middle fastballs of less-than-normal velocity – would qualify.

Clase, 27, is a three-time American League All-Star with a 1.88 career earned run average and 182 saves over his six-year career.

In four separate seasons, he worked more than 70 times. In 2024, his best season, he finished third in the voting for the league’s Cy Young Award after posting a career-best 0.61 ERA, saving a career-best 47 games, and finishing 66 of his 74 appearances. But he was a complete disaster in post-season play, yielding a 15.43 ERA and going 0-1 in three AL Championship Series appearances against the Yankees.

The 26-year-old Ortiz, also a Dominican right-hander, cannot match the glittering credentials of Clase. Usually exclusively as a starter by Cleveland after arriving from Pittsburgh, the four-year veteran went 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts for the 2025 Guardians. He is 16-22 lifetime.

If convicted and banned from baseball, both pitchers would forfeit comfortable salaries.

Millions at Stake

Clase has a five-year, $20 million contract that carries through the 2026 season and contains $10 million options for both 2027 and 2028. Ortiz would be eligible for salary arbitration after earning $782,600 in 2025.

Even without Clase and Ortiz over the second half, the Guardians parlayed speed, defense, and pitching into an 88-74 record that gave them a one-game bulge over the Detroit Tigers in the race for the American League Central crown. A strong finish, coupled with a Bengal collapse, allowed Cleveland to reach post-season play. Detroit then ended Cleveland’s season with victory in the best-of-three Wild Card Series.

In the meantime, Rose has been removed from the ineligible list by Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and is now eligible to be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame when the Eras Committee considers candidates for the Class of 2027 next winter. Rose, the career leader in hits, would have to pass muster to land a spot in the nominating ballot and then would need to secure at least 75 per cent of the vote (12 votes from the 16-member panel) to win enshrinement.

Also reinstated by Manfred was Shoeless Joe Jackson, whose .375 World Series batting average for the 1919 White Sox led both teams. He too could be considered for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027.