The FBI on Sunday announced the indictments of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz and Luis Leandra Ortiz Ribera, who have both been under investigation for gambling violations for months. Both were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. The indictments were filed Wednesday and unsealed Sunday.
Both players face up to 65 years in prison.
Per Major League Baseball’s Rule 21, players who bet on baseball, and specifically games in which they can change the outcome, will be banned from the league for life. Clase and Ortiz were placed on non-disciplinary leave over the summer, but the league has taken no other action.
Ortiz, a starting pitcher, was arrested at Boston’s Logan International Airport Sunday, and Clase, the team’s closer since 2021, is “not yet in custody,” per a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Ortiz is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Monday before his case is moved to the Eastern District.
According to the indictment, bets were placed on two major online sports betting platforms, referred to as Betting Platform 1 and Betting Platform 2.
The indictment refers to Bettor 1 and Bettor 2, both from the Dominican Republic, as Clase’s co-conspirators. Clase is from Rio San Juan in the Dominican Republic. He made is MLB debut Aug. 4, 2019 for the Texas Rangers. He is a three-time All-Star selection, a three-time MLB saves leader, and was twice selected reliever of the year. Ortiz, also from the Dominican Republic, made his MLB debut Sept. 13, 2022 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Clase allegedly ‘funded’ betting
Both pitchers, according to the indictment, “agreed in advance with their co-conspirators on specific pitches that they would throw in MLB games. The co-conspirators then used that information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on those pitches.” Clase began participating in the conspiracy in May 2023, and Ortiz joined it in June 2025.
Clase alerted a group of co-conspirators in advance about the speed and type of pitch he would throw, often opting to throw a ball on the first pitch of an at-bat. Clase often opted for sliders vs. fastballs, and “threw many of them in the dirt, well outside the strike zone.” In some cases, Clase got “bribes and kickbacks” for providing information. He also sometimes gave the co-conspirators money “in advance to fund the scheme,” which implies that Clase himself was betting on his own performance. According to the indictment, Clase’s co-conspirators won at least $400,000 on the wagers.
The indictment details many games between May 2023-June 2025, including one on June 27, 2025 versus the St. Louis Cardinals, in which the co-conspirators paid Clase $7,000 for arranging for Ortiz to throw a ball. Ortiz was also paid $7,000. There was similar setup on June 15, 2025 against the Seattle Mariners, in which each player was paid $5,000. In addition, federal prosecutors revealed that before the June 27 game, Clase withdrew $50,000 from his bank account and provided $15,000 to his partners to bet on the Ortiz pitch. In total, prosecutors wrote, Clase provided enough information for his co-conspirators to win at least $60,000 on “fraudulent” pitches.
It appears that due to the limited timeframe of his involvement, Ortiz ultimately earned $12,000 for his involvement in the scheme.
First NBA, now MLB in spotlight
The indictments come on the heels of two other wide-reaching investigations into illegal sports betting and illegal poker games involving ex-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, and ex-Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups.
Following the news of the NBA scandal, Major League Baseball commissioner Bob Manfred defended the league’s partnerships with sports betting companies, and confirmed that it was conducting its own investigation. The MLB Players Association has called for a ban on prop bets.
“MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process,” an MLB spokesperson told ESPN Sunday. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.”
