A baseball scandal involving allegedly rigged pitches, secret gambling deals and hundreds of thousands of dollars is about to finally play out in Brooklyn.
Two MLB Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz and a third defendant, Robinson Vasquez Germosen, head to federal court this week accused of deliberately manipulating pitches to help gamblers cash in. The feds claim some of the pitches that looked like ordinary mistakes were actually planned well in advance.
Clase, a three-time MLB All-Star, and teammate Ortiz are accused of secretly coordinating with bettors to manipulate pitches during MLB games. Prosecutors say the scheme ran from 2023 to 2025 and helped gamblers win at least $450,000.
Both players, originally from the Dominican Republic, have pleaded not guilty.
The case returns to the Eastern District of New York on Monday, November 2, before Judge Kiyo Matsumoto, with jury selection expected to begin Monday. Opening statements could be as soon as Monday afternoon or as late as Wednesday, depending on how long selecting a jury takes. But… the trial is already facing some interesting developments. During a pretrial hearing on Friday, prosecutors stunningly revealed they would not call a cooperating bettor who allegedly played a large role in the operation. The defense was furious, with one attorney reportedly describing the decision as a “nuclear bomb.” The judge also blocked the feds’ attempt to introduce evidence that Clase allegedly owed the IRS $500,000, a win for the defense.
According to a February superseding indictment, Clase allegedly began coordinating with gamblers in May 2023, while Ortiz joined him in June 2025. Federal prosecutors say the group used coded messages about “roosters” and “chickens” to communicate which pitches would be manipulated. But Clase’s defense has actually claimed the conversations did concern legit rooster fighting in the Dominican Republic. Los Angeles Magazine previously reported on that defense.
Feds have identified 18 pitches by Clase and two by Ortiz that they believe were connected to the alleged scheme. One somewhat bizarre example involves a May 2025 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers: Bettors allegedly wagered $7,000 that Clase would throw a ball. He threw a pitch outside the strike zone, but the batter swung anyway, costing the gamblers their money. Apparently, a frustrated bettor sent Clase a “GIF” depicting a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Clase allegedly responded with a sad-puppy GIF…so very bizarre.
Ortiz is accused of agreeing to throw a ball during a June 2025 game against the Seattle Mariners in exchange for $5,000. Federal Prosecutors claim gamblers received around $26,000 in payouts on that pitch, with money later routed through the Dominican Republic. In one message exchange, Clase allegedly instructed Ortiz to tell associates that a payment was for a horse.
Two additional defendants, Robinson Vasquez Germosen and Luis Arismendy Paca Mendez, were named in the superseding indictment as middlemen. The upcoming trial is expected to involve Clase, Ortiz and Vasquez Germosen, with Paca Mendez’s case moving forward separately.
The trial may run into December, with feds expected to present baseball footage, financial records and text messages they claim expose a coordinated betting scheme. The defense maintains the government has mistaken regular conversations and legit baseball plays for criminal activity.
The post MLB Pitch-Rigging Scandal Heads to Trial With $450K in Bets, Secret Codes and a Witness Bombshell appeared first on LAmag.
