MLB agrees to share investigation records as allegations of rigged pitches and NBA betting scandals escalate

Major League Baseball will turn over documents to a Senate committee examining gambling-related misconduct, as federal indictments and league investigations continue to ripple across professional sports. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell requested the material from Commissioner Rob Manfred, asking for it by 5 December.

The inquiry follows charges against Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who prosecutors allege accepted thousands of dollars from gamblers in the Dominican Republic to influence specific pitches.

Authorities say the scheme helped bettors win roughly $460,000 on in-game prop wagers tied to pitch speed and outcomes, including pitches thrown deliberately into the dirt. Both players have pleaded not guilty and face up to 65 years in prison if convicted. They are scheduled to return to court on 2 December.

Ortiz and Clase were placed on paid leave in July after MLB detected irregular betting patterns from games in April, May, and June. Manfred said the league’s investigation remains active. “We think that we should take advantage of the offseason to make sure that we conduct the most thorough and complete investigation possible,” he said.

MLB responded to the indictments with new limits on betting markets. Authorized gaming operators are now required to cap prop bets on individual pitches at $200 and remove such wagers from parlays.

“We think the steps we’ve taken in terms of limiting the size of these prop bets and prohibiting parlays off them is a really, really significant change that should reduce the incentive for anyone to be involved in an inappropriate way,” Manfred said.

During a news conference at the owners meeting, he confirmed the league’s cooperation with lawmakers. “We’re going to respond fully and cooperatively and on time to the Senate inquiry,” he said.

The commissioner added that MLB continues to assist players who have received online threats related to gambling. “We have had in place for some time services that are available to players that receive threats of this kind in terms of providing support through law enforcement,” he said.

The developments come as the NBA confronts its own series of betting-related arrests. In October, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Hall of Fame Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups were taken into custody in separate FBI investigations. Prosecutors accuse Billups of participating in illegal poker games involving the mafia, while Rozier is alleged to have provided inside information to manipulate prop bets between 2023 and 2024.

He had previously been cleared by the NBA. “Terry was cleared by the NBA, and these prosecutors revived that non-case,” his lawyer said. “Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight.” Former NBA player Damon Jones is also accused of involvement.

Manfred declined to discuss MLB’s positions in collective bargaining ahead of the expiration of the labor deal in December 2026. He said maintaining uninterrupted seasons remains a priority. “There has never been a lost game since I became involved as an employee of baseball and it is my goal to get this next one done keeping that record intact,” he said.

He also confirmed that the league’s next Field of Dreams Game will return to Iowa on 13 August, with Minnesota facing Philadelphia, and noted progress on repairs to Tropicana Field following hurricane damage.