NEW YORK -- Defense attorneys said a man they described as a "serial liar" and "gambling addict" deceived Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase and bet on him and teammate Luis Ortiz, while prosecutors labeled the two pitchers "cheaters" during opening statements of their federal trial Wednesday.
Clase, 28, is accused of rigging at least 18 pitches in 17 games from May 19, 2023, to May 28, 2025, often by intentionally throwing balls or by tipping off bettors that he would throw an off-speed pitch. Ortiz, 27, allegedly joined the plot in June 2025 and is accused of manipulating two pitches in two games. The two are standing trial for charges of conspiracy to commit wire and honest services fraud, sports bribery and money laundering.
An attorney for Clase, Michael Bronson, said bettor Enoc Pena took advantage of Clase and made false claims to associates about having inside information about the speed and result of select pitches.
Bronson said Clase saw Pena as a friend, but "Pena saw Clase as a mark." Bronson highlighted Clase's accomplishments as one of the best closers in baseball, referenced his career earnings and questioned why he would "throw it all away" for a "few thousand dollars" in alleged kickbacks. A three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, Clase has earned more than $13 million over seven years in the major leagues.
Ortiz's defense team also pointed to Pena, saying he was a central figure in the alleged plot and a cooperating witness for the government, "bought and paid for." Ortiz didn't communicate with any of the alleged bettors, defense attorney Samuel Landes told the jury.
Pena is not expected to testify.
Clase, dressed in a light blue sport coat, and Ortiz, in a dark suit, sat a few feet apart and listened as prosecutors alleged they told friends what types of pitches they were going to throw and when, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in winning wagers over three seasons.
"They sold their pitches," Rebecca Urquiola, assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, told the jury.
Paul Mifsud, a senior vice president and head of baseball operations counsel for Major League Baseball, testified that communicating with a sports bettor about plans to throw certain pitches would be inconsistent with a loyalty clause included in all MLB player contracts.
While cross-examining Mifsud, Ortiz's defense team showed scouting reports and statistics on opposing batters and suggested that strategy, not gambling, was behind the two pitches he allegedly rigged during a June 15, 2025, game against the Seattle Mariners and a June 27, 2025, game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
During afternoon testimony, Joel Trella, director of DraftKings' special investigations unit, detailed the sportsbook's investigation into multiple betting accounts that bet on Clase pitches and were believed to be linked, including one set up by Robinson Vásquez, a co-defendant in the case.
Todd Spodek, Vásquez's attorney, said his client only wanted to be friends with Clase, not profit off him.
"Four words -- big talk, small bets," Spodek said of his client, adding that Vásquez won "maybe $3,000" betting on Clase.
Trella will be back on the stand Thursday morning for cross-examination.
Clase completed the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract when conspiracy and fraud charges against the pitchers were made public in November 2025.
Ortiz earned $782,600 as a starting pitcher for the Guardians during the 2025 season.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
