Sports Betting Arrests Baseball

Ex-Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz go to trial Monday on charges that they colluded with gamblers who made hundreds of thousands of dollars betting correctly on individual pitches. Their careers and possibly their freedom are at stake in the jury trial expected to unfold over the next month in Brooklyn federal court. Several professional baseball players, including catchers and baseball executives, are among witnesses likely to testify. Clase is the Guardians’ former closer while Ortiz was a starter when they were charged in November 2025. Both have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges and are on nondisciplinary leave from the club without pay.