Guardians Pitchers Accused of Selling Pitch Info to Gamblers for $460,000

A federal judge in Brooklyn heard opening arguments on November 4 that two Cleveland Guardians pitchers conspired to sell information about their pitches to sports gamblers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Urquiola told the jury that Emmanuel Clase, the team's former closer, met Enoc Pena, a 41-year-old sports bettor, in the Dominican Republic in early 2023. The two shared interests in dominoes and cockfighting. Urquiola said Clase eventually agreed to tell Pena which pitches he would throw in specific games. This information allowed gamblers to win at least $460,000 on platforms that let customers wager on individual pitches.

Urquiola described the pitchers as cheaters who sold their pitches. She stated that Clase recruited starter Luis Ortiz into the scheme in 2025. The prosecutor noted that Clase began sharing pitch details in 2023 and later asked for kickbacks after seeing gamblers profit from his performance. The government's case relies on text messages where the pitchers used code words like chicken or rooster, along with testimony from gamblers.

Clase and Ortiz have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. They are on unpaid leave from the Guardians while facing prosecution. Both were arrested in November 2025 and have been out on bail since. Clase, 28, is a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year. He was in the fourth year of a five-year, $20 million contract when the charges were made public. Ortiz, 27, earned $782,600 for the 2025 season.

Defense attorneys argued that the pitchers were innocent and that Pena falsely claimed to other gamblers that he had inside information from Clase. Michael Bronson, representing Clase, said the pitcher was 25 when he met Pena. Bronson described Pena as a mark who brought Clase food and picked him up at the airport. In exchange, Clase gave Pena tickets to games and loaned him money. Bronson said Pena guessed which pitches Clase would throw and lost over 200 bets on those pitches while bragging to other gamblers. He called Pena a liar who was selling lies.

Attorney Samuel Landes, who represents Ortiz, said his client had no contact with gamblers. Landes stated that only two of Ortiz's pitches, both balls, are at issue in the trial. He told the jury that Ortiz was victimized by Pena's lies, including allegations that the pitcher accepted $5,000 for tips. Landes argued that Ortiz, who had received $1.7 million in advance for future contracts, would not throw that away for such a small amount. He asked Ortiz to stand and wave to the jury during the opening statement.

Pena made more than 7,000 bets from 2023 to 2025. He has a history of lying to secure what he wanted, including false statements to banks and on immigration forms regarding his marital status. Prosecutors said last week that they do not intend to put Pena on the witness stand, despite his deal to avoid prison and remain in the United States.