NEW YORK — Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers facing federal gambling conspiracy charges entered not guilty pleas Wednesday as their fraud trial will likely be delayed from spring until October, according to a federal judge.
Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto indicated she will probably push the May 4 trial date to fall, though she’s keeping the original date for now.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz spoke through a Spanish translator as they denied the charges in the updated indictment filed in Brooklyn federal court.
The revised charges, unsealed Friday, don’t include additional counts but add a third defendant accused of acting as an intermediary between the pitchers and betting interests. That individual also entered a not guilty plea Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors initially brought charges against the duo in November, alleging they received thousands in payments to assist Dominican Republic gamblers in winning more than $460,000 through over 100 in-game proposition bets and combination wagers on pitch velocity and results. The charges encompass wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting events.
Friday’s updated indictment includes new details claiming Clase communicated about specific pitches using coded language including terms like “rooster” and “chicken.”
Before a May 18, 2025 matchup with Cincinnati, Clase allegedly received instructions to “throw a rock at the first rooster in today’s fight” and replied: “Yes, of course, that’s an easy toss to that rooster,” according to court documents. However, Clase didn’t pitch in that contest and couldn’t execute the alleged plan to throw outside the strike zone to his first batter.
The previous day, prosecutors claim Clase violated MLB regulations by using his mobile phone during the game against Cincinnati to communicate with gamblers about an upcoming off-target pitch, allowing them to collect approximately $27,000.
Both Clase, Cleveland’s former closing pitcher, and Ortiz, who starts games, have remained on paid administrative leave since July while their teammates begin spring preparation. The Guardians’ season opener at home is scheduled for April 3.
The defendants, who are out on bond, departed the courthouse separately following Wednesday’s proceedings without speaking to reporters. Defense attorneys for both players maintain their clients never collaborated with betting interests.
Ortiz’s legal team has requested separate trials, arguing in filings that if Clase shared Ortiz’s pitching plans with gamblers, Ortiz was unaware of such actions. They point out that Ortiz faces allegations involving just two pitches over 12 days, while Clase is accused of ongoing collaboration with bettors dating to 2023.
“Mr. Clase may have abused his relationship with Mr. Ortiz as friends and teammates by convincing Mr. Ortiz to throw certain pitches at certain times — ostensibly for baseball reasons as far as Mr. Ortiz was aware,” the attorneys stated.
They indicated they might argue to jurors that “Ortiz as a victim of Mr. Clase’s scheme, rather than a knowing and willing participant.”
Clase, selected for three All-Star games, earned $4.5 million in 2025 during the fourth year of his five-year, $20 million deal. Federal authorities say he began sharing pitch information with bettors in 2023 but didn’t request compensation until the following year.
Prosecutors allege Ortiz, who made $782,600 last season, became involved in the conspiracy last June.
Both the Guardians organization and Major League Baseball have stated they’re assisting with the federal investigation. MLB officials say they alerted law enforcement after detecting suspicious wagering patterns.
