Major League Baseball said its authorized gaming operators will cap bets on individual pitches at $200 and exclude them from parlays, a day after two Cleveland Guardians were charged with rigging pitches at the direction of players.
MLB said Monday that the limits were agreed upon by sports betting operators representing more than 98 percent of the U.S. betting market. The league said in a statement that field-level betting on the results of pitches, balls and strikes “poses an increased risk to fairness because it focuses on one-time events that can be determined by a single player and may not be significant to the outcome of the game.”
“Risk in these markets will be significantly reduced by these new measures designed to incentivize misconduct,” the league said. “Creating a strict betting limit on this type of bet and prohibiting its use reduces payouts in these markets and the ability to bypass the new limit.”
Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged Sunday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn with accepting bribes from sports bettors to make certain types of pitches. They were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to influence athletic competition through bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The most serious charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
Ortiz's lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client is innocent and “will never, ever exert undue influence on the game, for anyone or anything.” Klaz's lawyer, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “dedicated his life to baseball and did everything in his power to help his team win. “Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and hopes to clear his name in court.”
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the Professional and Amateur Sports Act of 1992 was unconstitutional, allowing states to legalize sports betting.
Ortiz appeared in federal court in Boston on Monday on charges of accepting bribes to help associates in his native Dominican Republic win bets placed on courses he threw.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell released Ortiz but with a number of conditions, including surrendering his passport, restricting travel to the Northeast and posting bail of $500,000, of which $50,000 would be secured. He was also ordered to avoid contact with anyone who could be considered a victim, witness or co-defendant in the case.
Ortiz, dressed in a pale green tracksuit, said nothing in court. His lawyers declined to speak to reporters after the brief hearing.
Athletes on non-disciplinary paid leave
According to the indictment against the two players unsealed Sunday, Ortiz and Claeys received payments of several thousand dollars to help two unnamed players in their home country win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of certain courses, including those that hit the dirt.
Emmanuel Claeys, who was the Guardians closer, and Ortiz, the starter, have been on non-disciplinary leave with pay since July when MLB began investigating what it said was unusually high betting activity in the game when the two pitched. Some of the games in question took place in April, May and June.
Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Logan International Airport in Boston. Claise, 27, is believed to be outside the United States, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the situation. The official was not authorized to speak publicly on the case and did so on condition of anonymity.
Ortiz's lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said Ortiz's defense team previously provided prosecutors with documented evidence that payments and transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for legitimate business.
MLB said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating the unusual betting activity and has fully cooperated with authorities. “We are aware of the allegation and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” the league said in a statement.
In a statement, The Guardians said: “We are aware of recent law enforcement actions. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”
In one example cited in the indictment, Claeys allegedly invited a player to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April and spoke with him on the phone immediately before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the indictment said, the player and his partners won $11,000 by betting that Clase would throw a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph.
Claeys, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Player of the Year, received a $4.5 million salary in 2025, the fourth season of a five-year, $20 million contract. The three-time AL saves leader began providing players with information about his pitches in 2023 but did not ask for payments until this year, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Ortiz, whose salary this year was $782,600, got involved in the scheme in June and is accused of tampering with pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals.
The charges are the latest high-profile development in the federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.
Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling spree that rocked the NBA.
