Wild detail of Emmanuel Clase gambling message shows Guardians pitcher was in danger

On Sunday, we got a new update about the status of suspended Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz when the duo were charged with fraud, conspiracy and bribery stemming from an alleged scheme to rig individual pitches according to an indictment unsealed by federal prosecutors.

That indictment unspooled a wild (and honestly depressing) scheme where Clase and Ortiz worked with bettors to make money off pitches they purposely threw as balls. The bettors won at least $450,000 wagering on Clase and Ortiz’s pitches, while the pitchers received small kickbacks. 

The bettors made their money by wagering that inning-opening pitches from pitchers would be balls; both Ortiz and Clase would purposely bury their first pitch of the inning in the dirt. 

Clase was in the midst of a five-year, $20 million contract that included two more seasons with $10 team options. Ortiz was making $782,600 but was due for a raise after the 2026 season via arbitration. 

Both pitchers were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by MLB in July after betting integrity firms flagged irregular wagering on a pair of pitches thrown by Ortiz in June.

But just because Clase was helping the bettors doesn’t make money doesn’t mean that everything was perfect. In fact, at one point, it looked like Clase was put in a situation where his life could have been in danger. 

About 10 minutes before the Guardians' game against the Dodgers on May 28, Clase received a text from one of the bettors asking if Clase was all set, to which Clase responded yes. Before Clase entered the game, two of the bettors placed about $4,000 in wagers that Clase’s first pitch would be a ball. 

And while Clase opened the ninth with a ball in the dirt, it ended up being a strike after Andy Pages swung at the pitch. 

After the game, one of the bettors texted Clase a GIF of a man “hanging himself with toilet paper,” according to the indictment. Clase responded with a GIF of a “sad puppy dog face.” 

Indictment on Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz’s conversations with bettors shows how much danger pitchers were in

While both pitchers seemed to have a relationship with both bettors (according to the indictment there were multiple instances where the bettors came to Clase’s residence after games where they successfully wagered on his pitches), those texts were a reminder of the zero-sum game that both pitchers were playing. 

It’s also another reminder of how much betting and bettors have permeated the conversation around professional sports since the Supreme Court struck down the federal law that prohibited sports betting.

In 2024, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned for life for manipulating his own player props, while Pirates utility man Tucupita Marcano was also banned for betting on the Pirates while on the injured list. 

Both Clase and Ortiz could face lifetime bans from MLB. 

Recently, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested along with Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncy Billups and former coach Damon Jones in conjunction with a case related to illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia.

That story, like this one, won’t be going away any time soon.