Guardians’ Clase allegedly rigged pitches in 48 games, document says

indictment cleveland patron pitcher Emmanuel Class He is accused of throwing questionable pitches to benefit bettors in at least 48 games over two years, according to a court document filed Thursday, far more than federal prosecutors initially estimated.

Federal prosecutors listed nine games in which Klaas allegedly threw rigged pitches in the indictment The seal was unsealed in November, but teammates and alleged co-conspirators luis ortizThe government is accusing Klaas of manipulating his performance in dozens of sports, Kloss’s lawyer wrote in a filing.

ESPN has contacted attorneys for Clase and Ortiz, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case. Major League Baseball referred ESPN to its initial statement in which it said it was cooperating with federal prosecutors and declined further comment.

Ortiz’s attorney, Christos N. Georgallis asked in the filing for his client’s case to be separated from Klaas’s, arguing that Ortiz and Klaas have “markedly different levels of culpability,” and that his client might not otherwise get a fair trial.

According to the indictment, federal prosecutors accused Ortiz of rigging pitches in two games in June 2025, while Klaas allegedly conspired with bookmakers from 2023 to 2025. In Thursday’s filing, Ortiz’s attorney pointed to this difference in scale and emphasized that the indictment did not contain evidence of Ortiz communicating directly with bookmakers.

Georgallis argued that a jury was “presented with 26 months of alleged criminal conduct by Mr. Clase – which included questionable pitches, dozens of communications over the course of 48 games. [a bettor]Ortiz could be found guilty by association of “coordinating cash transfers and illegal bets.”

Clase appeared in 197 regular-season games from July 2023 to July 2025, when he was benched Non-disciplinary leave by MLB On gambling investigation. If the allegations are true, Klaas may have manipulated his performance in a quarter of those games.

A separate court record shows that a judge asked the government to provide evidence regarding the suspect pitches to class lawyers so they could prepare for trial.

A record of court proceedings states that the class “identified at least 250 pitches on which bets were placed, so the court encouraged the government to disclose the findings [Clase] Regarding any additional pitches which are alleged to have been included in the conspiracy.”

classe and ortiz pleaded not guilty for the charge of Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery. The top charges carry a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, the two accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help two unnamed gamblers in the players’ native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of their pitches.

Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, was in the fourth season of a five-year, $20 million contract. Ortiz played three seasons for pittsburgh pirates Before joining the Guardians in 2025, when he appeared in 16 games. MLB also kept him On non-disciplinary leave In July.

The case is scheduled to go to trial on May 4, although Ortiz’s attorney has asked for additional time.