Pitch-rigging trial: prosecutors allege $460,000 conspiracy

Prosecutors allege pitcher Luis Ortiz took payments to throw balls deliberately.

The hit

Bo Naylor, a former Cleveland Guardians catcher now with the Milwaukee Brewers, testified Thursday that pitches prosecutors allege were rigged did not appear suspicious to him, according to ESPN. He appeared as a defence witness in the federal trial of pitchers Emmanuel Clase & Luis Ortiz, who prosecutors say ran a betting conspiracy that netted at least $460,000.

Why it matters

The defence is trying to show jurors that pitches outside the strike zone are ordinary baseball, not proof of a fix. Under cross-examination by the prosecutor, Naylor admitted he didn’t know pitch-by-pitch betting existed until the investigation became public. The defence hopes that explanation convinces jurors the pitches were normal strategy, not a fix.

The record

Pitches Clase allegedly manipulated	18 pitches across 17 games (US prosecutors)
Ortiz’s alleged rigged pitches	deliberately threw balls on two occasions for payment (US prosecutors)
Clase’s alleged scheme start	2023, before recruiting Ortiz in 2025 (US prosecutors)
Player status	both on unpaid leave from the Guardians, pleaded not guilty

What happens next

The trial before US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto is expected to continue into early December.

Sources: MLB Pitch-Rigging Trial: Catcher Says Allegedly Fixed Pitches Looked Normal

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