Overview
- Clase was taken into custody at New York’s JFK Airport after arriving from the Dominican Republic and is expected to be arraigned in Brooklyn federal court on Thursday.
- Luis Ortiz pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and was released on $500,000 bail with GPS monitoring, a surrendered passport, and travel limited to New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio.
- Both pitchers are charged with conspiracy counts tied to wire fraud, honest-services fraud, money laundering, and bribery intended to influence sporting contests.
- Prosecutors allege Clase shared pitch information starting in 2023, later accepted payments, recruited Ortiz, and in one April game threw a first pitch below 97.95 mph that helped bettors win $11,000.
- MLB has capped microbets at $200 and removed them from parlays, the players remain on paid leave, and Guardians executive Chris Antonetti says the club is concentrating on roster building.