Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and the FBI announced an indictment on Sunday charging two Cleveland Guardians pitchers with conspiring with sports bettors to manipulate pitch outcomes during Major League Baseball games. Luis Leandro Ortiz was arrested at Boston’s Logan Airport on Sunday; teammate Emmanuel Clase was not in custody as of Sunday afternoon. Prosecutors say the scheme began in 2023 and that bettors used inside information to place prop bets that yielded at least $400,000 in winnings. The indictment alleges Ortiz joined the plot in 2025 and that specific pitches were arranged in advance in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.
Key Takeaways
- Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers—Emmanuel Clase and Luis Leandro Ortiz—are named in a federal indictment announced Sunday by Brooklyn prosecutors and the FBI.
- Ortiz was arrested at Logan Airport in Boston on Sunday; Clase was not in custody as of Sunday afternoon.
- Prosecutors say the conspirators began coordinating in 2023 and used advance knowledge about pitch type and speed to place prop bets.
- The indictment alleges the scheme netted at least $400,000 in fraudulent wagers for the bettors.
- Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in 2025 and is accused of agreeing before a June 15, 2025 game to throw a particular pitch as a ball in exchange for a $5,000 bribe; prosecutors say a $5,000 payment to Clase also was arranged.
- Investigators allege Clase often executed the agreed pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat and sometimes threw pitches into the dirt to ensure they were called balls.
- Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Guardians say they are cooperating with federal authorities and conducting their own investigations.
Background
The indictment follows a probe by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York and the FBI into sports betting irregularities tied to MLB games. Federal prosecutors say betting platforms and league referrals flagged unusual wagering patterns and specific bets linked to pitch-level outcomes, prompting a criminal inquiry. Betting markets have grown rapidly in the United States since broader legalization, increasing the volume and variety of prop bets that can be targeted with inside information.
Major League Baseball has a long-standing policy prohibiting players and personnel from conveying material, nonpublic information that could affect wagering. Past scandals in professional sports have shown how integrity risks magnify when individual actions can be correlated with micro-bets such as pitch type or velocity. Teams, leagues and sportsbooks have invested in detection tools, but the indictment illustrates how alleged collusion can still outpace monitoring efforts when in-game signals or private coordination are used.
Main Event
According to the indictment, the alleged scheme began in 2023 when the pitchers and a group of bettors started coordinating which specific pitches would be thrown in MLB games. Prosecutors say bettors placed prop bets on pitch speed and type, sometimes using information conveyed during games. Investigators assert that Clase frequently delivered the prearranged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat and would intentionally throw them low or into the dirt to make them balls.
Ortiz is accused of entering the scheme in 2025 and agreeing before at least two games to throw certain pitches as balls in return for payments. The indictment cites a June 15, 2025 game in which Ortiz allegedly agreed to throw a designated pitch as a ball for a $5,000 bribe; the same arrangement allegedly called for a $5,000 payment to Clase for arranging the move. Prosecutors say the coordinated bets resulted in at least $400,000 of winnings benefiting the conspirators.
Federal authorities arrested Ortiz at Boston Logan Airport on Sunday following the unsealing of the indictment. Clase had not been taken into custody as of Sunday afternoon, according to the announcement. The indictment provides a series of pitch-level examples that prosecutors say illustrate how the scheme operated across multiple games, including a cited instance from a matchup with the New York Mets.
Analysis & Implications
If proved, the alleged conduct would represent a direct assault on the integrity of play-by-play elements in baseball by exploiting the granularity of modern sports betting. Prop bets that pay on micro-events—such as pitch type, location or speed—create new attack surfaces that did not exist at scale a decade ago. This case underscores how technological change in wagering markets forces leagues to rethink safeguards, monitoring, and player education.
Beyond criminal liability for the individuals charged, the Guardians and Major League Baseball face consequential reputational and operational costs. MLB could pursue internal discipline ranging from suspensions to bans, while teams must manage public trust, sponsorship implications, and fan backlash. For sportsbooks and betting platforms, the case highlights the need for tighter real-time anomaly detection and closer collaboration with leagues and law enforcement to prevent manipulation.
Internationally, the case may prompt regulators and other leagues to reassess how betting products are structured and whether certain prop markets should be restricted or subject to additional oversight. Insurers, corporate partners and broadcasters may also scrutinize exposure to compromised competitions. Finally, proven manipulation on this scale could encourage stricter criminal enforcement and new industry compliance standards.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Alleged scheme start | 2023 |
| Ortiz joins | 2025 (alleged) |
| Noted game date | June 15, 2025 (pre-arranged pitch) |
| Alleged bettor winnings | At least $400,000 |
| Alleged individual bribes | $5,000 to Ortiz; $5,000 to Clase (per cited instance) |
The table above distills the primary numeric facts that prosecutors included in the indictment. Those figures form the backbone of the criminal case and will be scrutinized in discovery and, if the case proceeds, at trial. Analysts will watch whether betting-platform data and communications logs corroborate the pitch-level examples prosecutors describe.
Reactions & Quotes
Major League Baseball issued a brief statement saying it alerted federal authorities at the start of its probe and is cooperating. MLB’s cooperation underscores the league’s interest in swift investigative resolution and protecting the game’s integrity.
“MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process.”
Major League Baseball (statement)
The Cleveland Guardians released a short notice confirming awareness of the law enforcement action and pledged cooperation with both the league and authorities. The team framed its response around compliance and assistance while investigations continue.
“We are aware of the recent law enforcement action and will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”
Cleveland Guardians (team statement)
Prosecutors described the alleged scheme in the indictment as a coordinated effort that defrauded wagering platforms and deprived MLB and the Guardians of honest services. That portrayal signals the government’s theory linking individual actions to wider fraud and corruption statutes.
“Through this scheme, the defendants defrauded betting platforms, deprived Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Guardians of their honest services, illegally enriched themselves and their co-conspirators, misled the public, and betrayed America’s pastime.”
Indictment / U.S. Attorney’s Office (excerpt)
Unconfirmed
- Any wider player involvement beyond the two named pitchers has not been confirmed by prosecutors in the public indictment.
- Specific identities of the bettors accused of placing the wagers are not fully disclosed in public reporting.
- Whether particular sportsbooks will pursue civil remedies or impose bans on accounts tied to the wagering activity remains unreported.
Bottom Line
The indictment alleges a targeted scheme that exploited pitch-level wagering markets, resulted in significant illicit winnings, and involved alleged quid pro quo payments to players. If proven, the case would be one of the clearest examples to date of in-game micro-manipulation tied to modern prop-betting markets. MLB and the Cleveland Guardians have said they are cooperating, but the legal process and any internal discipline will take time to unfold.
Sportsbooks, leagues and teams will likely accelerate efforts to detect and deter similar conduct, and regulators may consider narrower restrictions on the types of prop bets offered. For fans and stakeholders, the case raises urgent questions about how to preserve competitive integrity in an era when betting data and granular markets are ubiquitous.
Sources
- ABC News — news report summarizing indictment, arrest, and official statements (media).