Baseball fraud trial begins
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NEW YORK -- Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were described by a prosecutor Wednesday as "cheaters" during opening statements at a New York criminal fraud trial that has cast a spotlight on the threat gamblers pose to America's pastime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Urquiola told a jury in Brooklyn that Clase befriended a sports betting gambler in the Dominican Republic in early 2023 who shared his interest in dominoes and cockfighting, which is legal in his home country.
Clase eventually agreed to tell "his new friend" what kinds of pitches he would throw in certain games, enabling gamblers to reap at least $460,000 on platforms that allow customers to bet on whether a pitch would be a ball or a strike, she said.
Clase, the Guardians' former star closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges and are on non-disciplinary leave from the club without pay while facing prosecution. They were arrested in November 2025 and have been free on bail since.