Former Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase may have manipulated pitches to a greater extent than previously believed. A court filing claims he threw over 250 questionable pitches in at least 48 games for betting purposes. The filing, from the lawyer of Luis Ortiz, Clase’s teammate and co-conspirator, argues that Ortiz’s involvement was significantly less than Clase’s, suggesting different levels of responsibility. The attorney seeks to separate their cases for a fair trial, fearing Ortiz may be judged too harshly if evidence against both is presented together.
Ortiz was put on leave in July 2025, followed by Clase in August, amid an MLB investigation into suspicious betting activities tied to specific pitches. Publicly, only two of Ortiz’s pitches from June 2025 were known to be scrutinized, as they were subject to high wagers to be balls and indeed missed the strike zone.
A November unsealed indictment accused Clase of throwing questionable pitches in nine games. The recent filing reveals over 250 suspect pitches in at least 48 games from 2023 to 2025, along with communications with a bettor, cash transfers, and illegal wager coordination. Ortiz and Clase allegedly accepted payments from bettors in the Dominican Republic, who won over $460,000 on prop bets tied to their pitches and pitch speed. The pitches likely missed the strike zone intentionally as it is easier to throw a ball on purpose than a strike.
Both players face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting events via bribery.
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- Source: SCCGManagement.com