Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers allegedly threw pitches into the dirt on cue, netting gamblers $450,000 in rigged bets. And that’s all it took to undermine the notion that baseball is built on the promise that every pitch, every swing, and every out is decided on the field. The MLB betting scandal involving Cleveland Guardians’ Emmaual Clase and Luis Ortiz sent shockwaves through the sport in 2025, with allegations of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks tied to gambling.

Both pitchers were sidelined as the controversy spiraled into a storm of investigations, legal battles, and unanswered questions. However, now the case has taken a major turn as it approaches its most consequential chapter, as the trial begins and the two pitchers face the possibility of up to 65 years in prison.

“Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were in federal court in Brooklyn on Monday, when jury selection commenced for a case in which prosecutors allege the former Guardians pitchers accepted bribes in a pitch-rigging scheme that won money for themselves and the gamblers with whom they colluded,” the New York Post reported.

As their federal trial gets underway in Brooklyn, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office allege that Clase and Ortiz defrauded major betting platforms by executing a coordinated “pitch-rigging” scheme. The scheme allowed the bettors to win at least $450,000 by placing highly specific, in-game proposition (“prop”) bets on popular sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, and ESPN BET.

Prosecutors claim that Clase telegraphed the speed and type of his throws. He often threw pitches into the dirt on the very first pitch of an at-bat to guarantee they were called balls. It spanned 18 pitches across 17 games from 2023 to 2025. According to court filings, Clase communicated with the bettors using code words like “rooster” and “chicken.”

It is also alleged that Clase recruited Ortiz into the conspiracy in June 2025. Ortiz is specifically accused of manipulating two pitches across two games in exchange for a $5,000–$7,000 bribe. Both the Guardians pitchers agreed in advance on the exact speed and type of pitches they would throw.

Ortiz is accused of manipulating two pitches across two games in June 2025.

In one cited instance from June 4, 2023, an associate asked about a ninth-inning pitch. Clase allegedly replied, “Yes, the same rooster.” Co-conspirators immediately wagered on DraftKings that the pitch would be under 95 mph. He threw an 88 mph pitch, netting the bettors $33,000.

Clase pocketed approximately $14,000 in kickbacks, while Ortiz received $12,000 (including a single $5,000 payment for a June 2025 game). These payments were allegedly layered and wired in small increments to individuals in the Dominican Republic to hide the trail.

So, as both the Guardians pitchers claimed their innocence in between, things took a wrong turn as the trial began.

Attorneys representing the players argue that the pitches under scrutiny were entirely legitimate. They were part of ordinary baseball strategy meant to deceive opposing hitters. Regarding the text messages, the defense team has claimed the recorded conversations were actually about legal cockfighting ventures and livestock investments in the Dominican Republic, rather than an MLB betting plot.

Ortiz’s legal team also attempted to sever his case from Clase’s, maintaining that he was a victim of the circumstances.

The trial is expected to last roughly a month in front of U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. If convicted, both players face severe criminal penalties. This could include a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, alongside up to 5 years for sports bribery. Separately, if found guilty, both players face a likely lifetime ban from MLB.

So, as the trial began for perhaps the biggest MLB scandal since the Black Sox controversy, the next few weeks will bring out a few more revelations that could determine MLB’s future course of action.