Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz appeared together in a Brooklyn federal courtroom on Monday, December 2, 2025 — the first time the two men had been in the same room since their November indictment on sports-betting corruption charges. After the brief status conference, U.S. Marshals prompted an awkward handshake between the former teammates, a moment that quickly went viral on social media.
Here’s everything we know today, stripped of speculation and backed only by verified reporting.
The Charges (Confirmed by DOJ indictment unsealed November 9, 2025)
- Wire fraud conspiracy
- Honest services fraud
- Sports bribery
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Both pitchers have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege:
- Emmanuel Clase began tipping pitches as early as May 2023
- Luis Ortiz joined the scheme around June 2025
- Dominican-based gamblers were told in advance whether certain pitches would be balls or strikes, allowing them to place winning prop bets (primarily on pitch location and balls-in-play)
- Total fraudulent winnings exceeded $400,000 across both schemes; the pitchers allegedly received thousands of dollars in kickbacks
Maximum penalty if convicted on all counts: up to 65 years (though actual sentences are almost always far lower).
Court Update – December 2, 2025
- Judge: Kiyo A. Matsumoto, Eastern District of New York
- Trial date: Jury selection begins May 4, 2026 (two-week trial expected)
- Reason for delay: Defense teams requested additional time to review digital evidence from phones and messaging apps
No plea deals have been announced, and MLB’s separate integrity investigation remains ongoing.
Contract & Team Impact (Verified numbers)
- Emmanuel Clase is under contract through 2026 with approximately $12 million remaining guaranteed ($6M in 2025, $6M in 2026, plus 2027–28 club options)
- Luis Ortiz is arbitration-eligible this winter and under team control through 2029
- A conviction could allow the Guardians to void Clase’s remaining money under the Uniform Player Contract’s morality clause
The Bigger Picture (Context, Not Speculation)
The case is the highest-profile MLB betting corruption indictment since the 2018 repeal of PASPA opened the floodgates to legal sports wagering in the United States. It arrives alongside other federal sports-integrity probes (e.g., Jontay Porter’s lifetime NBA ban in 2025) and has reignited the debate about whether leagues or the Department of Justice should police on-field gambling corruption — a debate that remains active but has not yet produced new congressional hearings tied to Clase/Ortiz.
For now, two of baseball’s brightest young arms are on the sidelines, awaiting a trial that won’t begin until after Opening Day 2026. Whatever the verdict, the awkward courtroom handshake on December 2 will be remembered as the moment the scandal stopped being abstract and became painfully personal.
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice indictment, Associated Press, The Athletic, ESPN, Cleveland.com, NY Post courtroom reporting (December 2–3, 2025). All facts cross-checked as of 3:00 PM ET, December 3, 2025.
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