Gambling and MLB crossed paths again, and someone who knew both sides just called out the league. Michael Franzese, who once ran illegal betting operations, pointed out the core issue. His breakdown came after the Guardians scandal exposed the league’s hypocrisy, not the players caught in its trap. And Rob Manfred should pay attention.

Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are accused of running prop-bet rigging schemes that were directly linked to how they played in games. Federal prosecutors believe that Clase, an All-Star closer, and Ortiz worked with third-party bettors to throw certain types and speeds of pitches.

This enabled illegal gains to be made from small wagers on the outcome of each pitch.

On a recent podcast of Sit Down with Michael Franzese, who knows something about illegal operations, he pointed straight at Rob Manfred’s partnership deals with gambling sites. “The more access you give the players, the more problems you’re going to have,” he said.

He explained that players see this arrangement and feel resentment building. “Bottom line, players gamble. It is an extension of their competitive spirit,” Franzese continued. The leagues are now partners with gambling sites, “and they’re earning a lot of money and they’re earning it on our backs because we’re the players.”

His point: how can MLB expect players to resist gambling when the league itself profits from betting on their performances?

And he didn’t stop there. He laid out the contradiction players face daily: “We’re not allowed to gamble, but here we are, the leagues, they’re in bed now.

They’re partners with gambling sites.” Franzese described the thinking among some players: “Why should we hold back when they’re making money on our backs?”

The gambling temptation sits right there on their phones and computers, easier than ever. Meanwhile, league advertisements flash betting odds during broadcasts.

Later, Franzese made a critical observation about player psychology: “I can tell you this, I guarantee you the players are even resentful of that.” He emphasized that players watching the league profit from gambling while being banned themselves creates genuine anger.

“These players are resentful. Some of them, the ones that want to gamble, they’re resentful,” he stated. A Franzese called it “nonsense” that the league expects players to ignore what constantly surrounds them.

The accusations against the Guardians pitchers validate Franzese’s warning about the system Rob Manfred built.

Clase was taken into custody at JFK Airport and pleaded not guilty in federal court. Ortiz also pleaded not guilty after being freed on bail and put under GPS monitoring and travel restrictions.

The indictment says that bettors made at least $400,000 by rigging bets and that Ortiz joined the conspiracy in June 2025 with Clase’s help.

Rob Manfred responded to the controversy by imposing a $200 limit on individual-pitch prop bets and banning their inclusion in parlays. Columnist Bob Nightengale noted that these changes were essential to prevent potential rigging.

Despite this, Rob Manfred defended MLB’s gambling partnerships as key revenue sources while enforcing strict player policies.

This contradiction—profiting from an activity banned for players—highlights the true issue, as the $200 limit addresses only the symptoms, not the underlying hypocrisy.

Athletes under fire in a betting world

Franzese’s warning about player resentment extends beyond rule-breaking. The betting culture has manifested into physical threats against players.

Players are now publicly sharing the consequences of MLB’s betting issues. Ryne Stanek of the New York Mets revealed that fans blame his bad performance for ruining parlays and that he receives “death threats all the time—every day.”

He isn’t alone. Earlier in the season, Lance McCullers Jr. and his family received similar threats after just one game, all tied to angry bettors.

Stanek publicly criticized the league’s gambling partnerships for creating this danger. He pointed out the contradiction that fuels bettors’ anger: the league encourages betting while banning players from the same activity.

This stress, he said, goes beyond individual games and affects the safety of all players.

Rob Manfred’s $200 betting limit addresses rigged outcomes but ignores the broader crisis Franzese identified and Stanek experienced.

The league profits from a system that simultaneously corrupts games and endangers players, all while maintaining that the athletes alone bear responsibility for the fallout.