U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell have asked Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred for information regarding recent allegations of gambling-related corruption in the league.
The request follows an indictment unsealed by prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York against two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. The indictment accuses them of intentionally manipulating pitches to profit from sports betting. This case comes after similar accusations were made against coaches and players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cruz and Cantwell had previously sent a letter to the NBA seeking information on that matter.
According to the letter from Cruz and Cantwell, "Game fixing allegations are not new to baseball. 105 years ago, a Chicago grand jury indicted eight Chicago White Sox players for allegedly rigging the 1919 World Series. Labeled 'the Chicago Black Sox' in the press, the players were eventually acquitted by a Chicago jury, even though some had earlier confessed, and all eight were banned from baseball for life."
The Senators note that American sports face a new integrity crisis with these recent developments: "Major League Baseball (MLB), and American sports generally, are facing a new integrity crisis. Last week, prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York unsealed an indictment against two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, accusing them of rigging their own pitches to make a profit. That indictment comes just a few weeks after prosecutors leveled similar allegations against coaches and players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ranking Member Cantwell and I sent a letter to the NBA requesting documents and information about that matter , and we now seek information from MLB about how the League is addressing alleged game manipulation and threats to baseball’s integrity."
Details outlined in their letter state that Clase allegedly informed friends ahead of time about his actions so they could place prop bets or placed bets himself. The scheme reportedly lasted over two years before MLB discovered it. Specific examples include incidents where Clase allegedly told friends he would throw certain pitches during games against teams like the New York Mets, resulting in significant winnings through fraudulent bets.
Additionally, Ortiz is accused of participating in manipulated pitching during at least two games after being recruited by Clase. According to court documents referenced by Cruz and Cantwell, accomplices won thousands of dollars based on inside knowledge provided by these players.
The Senators compared this situation with previous incidents such as that involving Tucupita Marcano in 2024. Marcano received a lifetime ban after MLB found he had placed hundreds of bets on baseball games while active on team rosters—an infraction discovered through new monitoring measures implemented by MLB.
Cruz and Cantwell question why MLB was able to detect Marcano's betting but did not uncover Clase’s alleged activities sooner: "Which raises the question: how did MLB catch Marcano and ban him for life but failed to notice Clase allegedly rigging pitches for two years? The integrity of the game is paramount. MLB has every interest in ensuring baseball is free from influence and manipulation."
They call attention to what they describe as systemic vulnerabilities across multiple professional leagues: "An isolated incident of game rigging might be dismissed as an aberration, but the emergence of manipulation across multiple leagues suggests a deeper, systemic vulnerability. These developments warrant thorough scrutiny by Congress before misconduct issues become more widespread."
Under its mandate granted by Senate rules to review issues relating to sports and commerce continuously, the committee requests written responses from MLB no later than December 5, 2025. The questions cover when suspicious activity was first detected; details on league policies; records related to investigations; communications between MLB officials or teams with betting platforms; rule enforcement around cellphone use during games; plans for policy revisions; and steps taken or planned concerning ties between participants in professional baseball and organized crime.
"Thank you for your attention to this matter," Cruz wrote at the end of his communication with Commissioner Manfred.
