MLB ‘spot-fixing’ trial set to begin in US court

What the report says

A federal jury trial involving two former Cleveland Guardians pitchers is set to begin in Brooklyn, New York, over allegations that they took part in a spot-fixing scheme tied to in-game betting. Al Jazeera reports that Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz face charges including conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Both men have pleaded not guilty and are on non-disciplinary leave while the case proceeds.

According to the indictment described in the report, prosecutors say the pitchers accepted payments from gamblers in the Dominican Republic in exchange for information that helped win bets on the speed and outcome of individual pitches. Authorities allege the scheme led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings and that Clase began sharing pitch information in 2023 before bringing Ortiz into the arrangement in 2025. The trial is expected to last about a month, with several baseball players, catchers and team executives among the anticipated witnesses.

The case matters because it puts a high-profile integrity issue in Major League Baseball before a jury and could affect both players’ careers and legal futures. Al Jazeera also notes that MLB says it alerted federal investigators after spotting unusual betting activity and that the Guardians and league have cooperated with authorities. A judge recently limited one piece of prosecution evidence after a disclosure dispute, underscoring the procedural battles likely to shape the trial.