In July of the 2025 season, MLB placed both Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary paid leave during the betting scandal investigation. And since then, the Guardians’ pitchers have been off the mound. With their trial having started, the Guardians’ former catcher, Bo Naylor, has given a very important statement that could impact the trial.
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“Naylor, a defense witness, was shown video replays of some of the pitches… Naylor was behind the plate for many of them and said they looked like common sliders outside the strike zone,” reported ESPN’s David Purdum.
Former Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor gave Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz a measure of support during the federal trial. The defense has also listed Austin Hedges and Mike Zunino as witnesses.
Called as a defense witness, Naylor told jurors he saw nothing unusual about pitches prosecutors say were manipulated for bettors. His testimony matters because he was behind the plate for seven of the 18 pitches allegedly rigged by Clase. He also caught Ortiz for 14 of the pitcher’s 16 starts, including a disputed game.
Naylor was shown video of pitches thrown by both former teammates. He described the deliveries as common sliders outside the strike zone, rather than anything that raised concern. For two pitches involving Ortiz, Naylor said Cleveland’s scouting reports recommended sliders low and away against the hitters.
“Slider low and away,” he told the defense, explaining how the game plan was planned before the pitch. That gave the defense a baseball explanation for pitches prosecutors argue were deliberately thrown as balls.
The case centers on allegations that the pitchers helped gamblers win through bets on individual pitches. Prosecutors say Clase manipulated 18 pitches across 17 games between May 2023 and May 2025. They allege Ortiz joined in June 2025 and manipulated two pitches in two games. Gamblers allegedly won at least $460,000, while the pitchers received several thousand dollars in payments.
Both players have pleaded not guilty and remain on unpaid, non-disciplinary leave from MLB since March 2026.
Naylor’s testimony also highlighted how pitch selection works during a regular game. He explained that catchers and pitchers discuss opposing hitters before games, then agree on pitches and locations. Catchers signal the intended pitch, but pitchers can shake off a call and choose something else. Naylor acknowledged that even experienced pitchers cannot always locate a pitch exactly where intended.
He described Clase’s command as “pretty good,” but that does not mean every delivery lands perfectly.
Prosecutors also questioned Naylor about whether he knew gamblers could bet on individual pitches.
“I didn’t know that before,” he replied, saying he learned only after the case emerged.
The prosecutor asked whether he knew people wagered tens of thousands of dollars on pitches, but the judge sustained a defense objection to the question. Naylor’s role was limited to technical baseball analysis; he stated he was not close friends with either pitcher. He also acknowledged seeing Clase use his phone there, though that alone establishes no communication with bettors.
The government has presented other testimony to support their allegations. Bettor Edward Canario testified that Luis Arismendy Paca Méndez gave him specific betting instructions on Clase pitches in 2023. Canario said Méndez called them “for-sure bets” and told him not to tell anyone.
He testified that he wagered on pitch speed and outcomes, saying, “I had inside information on these pitches.”
However, cross-examination established that Méndez never directly told Canario he possessed inside information. DraftKings investigator Joel Trella separately testified that the sportsbook recorded 160 geolocation pings from accounts used at Clase’s home.
Naylor’s account gives the defense a useful explanation, but it does not resolve the central question. An ordinary-looking slider can still be part of an alleged prior agreement with bettors. Prosecutors must prove coordination with gamblers, not simply that certain pitches missed the strike zone. Clase and Ortiz face conspiracy charges involving wire fraud, honest services fraud, sports bribery, and money laundering. The charges carry a potential combined maximum of 65 years, although any sentence depends on convictions and sentencing decisions. The 65-year figure represents the combined maximum across all counts; actual sentences depend on jury verdicts and judicial discretion.
Recent MLB gambling scandal and how it affected the player
Tucupita Marcano was a Venezuelan infielder whose major league career ended after a gambling investigation. In June 2024, MLB banned him for life, making him the first active player banned in a century. At 24, he had appeared in 149 games for the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh. He hit .217 with 5 home runs and 34 RBIs across his major league appearances. Fans watched a young career stall before Marcano could establish himself as a regular.
MLB began investigating after a sportsbook flagged suspicious betting activity involving players in March 2024. Records showed Marcano placed 387 baseball wagers between October 2022 and November 2023, exceeding $150,000. That total included 231 MLB wagers, accounting for $87,319 of his betting activity overall.
Most significantly, 25 wagers involved Pirates games while Marcano remained on Pittsburgh’s major league roster. He was recovering from a torn ACL and did not play in those games.
MLB said Marcano lost every parlay involving Pittsburgh and won only 4.3% of MLB-related bets. Michael Kelly, Andrew Saalfrank, Jay Groome, and José Rodríguez each received one-year suspensions for violations. Kelly bet $99.22, Groome $453.74, Saalfrank $444.07, and Rodríguez $724.09 each on MLB games.
Marcano’s punishment was harsher: Rule 21 makes betting on your own team a lifetime-ban offense. Investigators found no evidence he manipulated games, used inside information, or influenced any baseball result.
That distinction did little to soften the consequences for a player still establishing himself. The lifetime ban removed his path back to MLB and its affiliated minor league system. His major league career stopped at 149 games, before he could build on opportunities. He lost the chance to pursue future MLB contracts, regular earnings, and further career advancement. Unlike the others, Marcano received no scheduled return date, leaving his future outside MLB.
Still, Marcano has continued playing outside MLB’s affiliated system, including winter baseball in Venezuela. He hit .303 with 10 RBIs in 45 Magallanes games during the 2024-25 season. In October 2025, Fargo-Moorhead signed him for its 2026 American Association season in independent baseball. He hit .305 with 2 home runs and 22 RBIs in 33 games for Fargo-Moorhead. Unlike Marcano, Clase and Ortiz’s Brooklyn trial began over pitch-fixing allegations involving $460,000.