Federal prosecutors have narrowed their focus in Emmanuel Clase’s gambling case to 18 pitches they say the Cleveland Guardians closer deliberately manipulated for bettors.
The new filing, made public ahead of the planned Nov. 2 trial in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, lists the pitches prosecutors say are central to the case. Defense attorneys had pushed for the disclosure. The number is down sharply from an earlier set of 48 pitches prosecutors had previously sent to the defense.
Clase and former teammate Luis Ortiz are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering in what has become one of the biggest scandals to hit Major League Baseball. Prosecutors say the betting scheme generated more than $460,000 for bettors, who in turn paid Clase and Ortiz thousands in bribes and kickbacks.
According to prosecutors, the pair worked with bettors in advance to identify when they would throw a pitch outside the strike zone at a specific moment - often the first batter they faced in an inning - or deliver a pitch that was slower than usual.
The indictment says Clase ran the scheme on his own beginning in 2023 and later brought Ortiz in during 2025. Ortiz is accused of throwing two rigged pitches that year, triggering sportsbook alarms and eventually an FBI investigation.
Both players have pleaded not guilty.
Clase has argued in court filings that investigators misread texts about cockfighting in the Dominican Republic, where it is legal, and treated them as coded references to fixing pitches. His defense team has also asked the judge to let them present evidence of his pitching ability and to call an expert witness who would tell jurors the pitches in question were simply sound strategy, not betting plays.
The 18 pitches prosecutors identified include one already known pitch from Game 1 of the 2024 American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers. Nine of the pitches came in May and June of the 2023 season, two came in 2024, and seven were thrown in April and May of 2025, just before MLB suspended Ortiz and Clase.
Both remain suspended. Clase’s five-year, $20 million contract runs through this season and includes team options for 2027 and 2028. Ortiz’s contract ended after the 2025 season.
A three-time All-Star, Clase is the Guardians’ all-time saves leader with 181. Cleveland’s current closer, Cade Smith, is second in MLB with 39 saves this season.
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