Lawyers for Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz want to sever the cases against him and teammate Emmanuel Clase as federal prosecutors allege they were both involved in a pitching-rigging scheme.
Ortiz’s lawyer, Christos N. Georgalis, asked for a federal judge to break up the cases so they could move forward independently of each other while labelling his client “a victim of Clase’s scheme, rather than a knowing and willing participant,” according to a legal filing unsealed Monday and viewed by The Athletic.
Georgalis pointed to the purported difference in their respective involvement in the alleged pitch-rigging scheme to support his argument.
The filing also cites the potential for a conflict of interest as grounds for severing the case into two, mentioning that Clase’s attorneys spoke with witnesses who claimed the betting scheme did not exist. Now, one of those people is expected to testify differently.
There is also the possibility that Ortiz’s lawyer could serve as a “second prosecutor” and call Clase’s attorney to the stand — which would only occur if the cases were split — in order to defend Ortiz, The Athletic reported.
Federal prosecutors unsealed a 23-page indictment alleging that Clase rigged pitches dating back to May 2023 by throwing them for balls to help bettors’ prop bets hit.
Ortiz is alleged to have joined in June 2025. Both players allegedly got kickbacks.
Prosecutors allege that bettors netted winnings of $460,000.
The two pitchers face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy.
The original indictment alleged Clase made four suspicious pitches, but prosecutors have been open to the idea that there were more. Ortiz was accused of rigging two pitches.
The recent filing indicated that Georgalis would use as one of the “likely defenses” that Clase gave out Ortiz’s pitching strategy to gamblers without the pitcher’s knowledge.
Clase and Ortiz remain on leave from MLB and will not be allowed to attend Guardians spring training.
