Jury selection has begun in the federal trial of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who are accused of manipulating pitches to help gamblers profit from player-specific betting markets.
The proceedings opened in Brooklyn on 2 November. Robinson Vasquez Germosen, an acquaintance of Clase from the Dominican Republic, is being tried alongside the players. The trial is expected to last approximately one month.
Prosecutors allege Clase manipulated 18 pitches over two years, while Ortiz manipulated two after joining the alleged scheme in June 2025.
They say associates received advance information about forthcoming pitches, sometimes through coded references to livestock, before sharing details with bettors.
The alleged scheme generated approximately $450,000 in winnings, including around $400,000 linked to Clase’s pitches, according to prosecutors. DraftKings, FanDuel and ESPN Bet are identified as companies allegedly defrauded.
In one incident described by prosecutors, bettors won $33,000 after wagering that Clase would throw a pitch below 95 miles per hour. It was recorded at 88 mph.
Prosecutors also allege the pitchers received payments, including $5,000 each associated with Ortiz’s participation, transferred through intermediaries in the Dominican Republic.
Lawyers for the defendants deny any conspiracy to rig performances. They argue the pitches were consistent with normal baseball strategy and that skilled gamblers could have placed successful bets without inside information.
Defence lawyers have also disputed prosecutors’ interpretation of communications about rooster fighting.
Both players were placed on leave in 2025. A fourth defendant, Luis Arismendy Paca Mendez, was extradited from the Dominican Republic but will not participate in this trial.
The allegations remain unproven, and the defendants face potentially lengthy prison sentences if convicted.
The trial follows the MLB Players Association’s proposal to remove individual-player prop markets, citing harassment and integrity concerns.
Separately, MLB has partnered with Polymarket and established information-sharing arrangements with the CFTC, including safeguards around potentially manipulable markets.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr.’s Kalshi endorsement has also brought attention to the distinction between commercial partnerships and rules prohibiting MLB personnel from trading baseball contracts.
Pitch-level prop bets concern specific events, such as a pitch’s speed, rather than the result of a baseball game
