A federal trial date has been scheduled for Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, the two pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians who have been indicted on charges tied to a sports-gambling scheme. A status conference on December 2, 2025, before Kiyo A. Matsumoto of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York set jury selection for May 4, 2026, with the trial expected to commence shortly thereafter.
According to the Associated Press, the two are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest-services fraud, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money-laundering conspiracy. The alleged scheme involves the two pitchers accepting bribes from gamblers in the Dominican Republic so that wagers could be placed on the speed and outcomes of their pitches, reportedly generating at least $460,000 in betting winnings.
Prosecutors say Clase began interacting with the betting scheme as early as 2023 and later recruited Ortiz in 2025. The case includes hundreds of gigabytes of electronic-device records, and no plea deal has yet been reached. Both players remain on non-disciplinary paid leave from Major League Baseball while the investigation continues.
