"Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase is now accused of taking part in a pitch-fixing scheme that extended into the postseason, according to federal prosecutors. A superseding indictment unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn alleges that Clase, along with fellow pitcher Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera and Robinson Vasquez Germosen, conspired to predetermine certain pitches in Major League Baseball games and quietly tip off gamblers. Prosecutors say the operation ran from May 2023 through June 2025 and generated at least $450,000 in illicit winnings."
"Court papers describe Clase, a relief pitcher, agreeing ahead of time to throw specific pitches in key moments. Instead of attacking hitters, he would deliberately toss balls rather than strikes or opt for slower sliders instead of faster cutters. That advance knowledge was funneled to gamblers through intermediaries, including Vasquez. With that edge, bettors targeted proposition wagers focused on details such as whether a pitch would be a ball or hit-by-pitch, or whether it would clock in below a certain speed."
Federal prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment accusing Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera, and Robinson Vasquez Germosen of conspiring to predetermine pitches and tip gamblers. Prosecutors allege the operation ran from May 2023 through June 2025 and produced at least $450,000 in illicit winnings, including wagers during a playoff game. Court papers describe pitchers agreeing in advance to throw balls instead of strikes or slower sliders instead of cutters, with advance details funneled to bettors through intermediaries and text chats. Bettors placed proposition wagers and parlays on pitch outcomes, producing targeted payouts like roughly $38,000 on June 3, 2023.
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