Former Guardians pitchers face federal fraud charges over bribes allegedly tied to gamblers who won big betting on individual pitches.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, former Cleveland Guardians pitchers, went to trial Monday in Brooklyn federal court on charges that they took bribes while colluding with gamblers who cashed in on correctly betting individual pitches.
The jury trial is expected to run over the next month. Prosecutors say the pitchers accepted several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two gamblers who, according to the indictment, made hundreds of thousands of dollars off their inside knowledge.
Clase, the Guardians' former closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have both pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. Both remain on nondisciplinary leave from the club without pay while the case plays out.
Several professional baseball players, along with catchers and baseball executives, are expected to testify as witnesses. For Clase and Ortiz, the stakes extend well beyond their pitching careers, with potential prison time on the line if convicted.