The story of the summer in downtown Cleveland was that the Guardians lost two important pitchers. Not to injury, as you might expect, but to an investigation by the MLB surrounding gambling. Luis Ortiz and Emmanual Clase, both Dominican right-handers that figured to have key roles in Guardians manager Stephen Vogt’s pitching plan this season season, were put on paid, non-disciplinary leave in July because a betting-integrity firm was suspicious of bets placed on their pitches.
The investigation was ultimately extended until the end of the year, and Ortiz and Clase did not pitch again. Clase, a flame-throwing closer who made three consecutive All Star games and capped off a historically dominant 2024 season by finishing third in the Cy Young race, was recently banned by the Guardians from playing winter ball in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. It is unclear if either pitcher will ever throw in the MLB again.
Ortiz and Clase have been accused of intentionally throwing first-pitch balls for gambling purposes, and while there is still uncertainty surrounding their situation, it seems likely that they betrayed their team for off-the-field incentives. One thing is abundantly clear: the push to marry betting and sports has damaged the integrity of the game.
The explosion of prop bets creates the potential for these types of scenarios. Prop bets are wagers on a specific part of the game, not just the end result, and they are often combined to create parlays. There is no shortage on what you can bet on: Will Emmanual Clase’s first pitch of the inning be a ball? Will Steph Curry splash more or less than 5.5 three-pointers tomorrow? Because every detail of sports is now betting-eligible, the temptation for players to intentionally fall short in a certain category is stronger than ever.
Former Toronto Raptor player Jontay Porter was hit with a lifetime ban from the NBA in 2024 after violating the league’s policies around betting in all sorts of ways. He bet on the NBA, even placing bets that his own team would lose. This is illegal, and it’s also deeply wrong as a teammate and a competitor in the world’s best basketball league. Porter had communication with bettors prior to tip-off and agreed to underperform or remove himself from the game early. The abundance of bets coming in on Porter unders raised eyebrows. A role player averaging four points per game was receiving so much attention in the betting world, and it didn’t take long for the league to figure out his scheme.
These scandals have put the integrity of sports in jeopardy, but arguably worse, it’s incredibly disheartening for fans. Players are supposed to be role models that young fans can look up to and a community can rally around. Many fans work all day and look forward to listening to the game on the drive back or turning on the TV at home. In exchange for earning millions to play a game, professional athletes owe it to the city and the fanbase to give their best effort every night. It’s an unwritten rule.
That is what is frustrating about these gambling scandals. The players, who are already handed eye-opening salaries, put their own financial benefit over the integrity of the game. The extra money they could earn off the field outweighs the commitment they made to their teammates, their coaches, and their organization from the first day of Spring Training. And it’s a direct slap in the face to the fans that have supported them, bought their jerseys, and come to their games.
Clase, in particular, who built his career in Cleveland after being traded from the Texas Rangers, was an electrifying closer that brought the crowd to its feet every time he entered the game. To throw away his spot at the back end of the Guardians’ bullpen for bettors is disrespectful to the game of baseball itself.
