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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday that the league will cooperate with the U.S. Senate committee's request for documents detailing gambling investigations.
“We will respond fully, cooperatively and in a timely manner to the Senate investigation,” Manfred said during a news conference at a homeowners' meeting.
The sport has been rocked by a scandal involving Cleveland Guardians players Emanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who are accused of helping players by accepting bribes to rig fields.
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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the first round of the MLB baseball draft on Sunday, July 13, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee sent a letter Monday to Manfred asking for information by December 5.
The committee requests answers to six questions by December 5.
- “How and when did MLB become aware of suspected gambling and betting rigging activities by Emmanuel Clase or Luis Ortiz? Please provide sufficient documents to support your response?”
- “Provide sufficient documents to show MLB policies and procedures relating to sports betting, wagering or game manipulation by MLB or the players, coaches, employees or owners of an affiliated team.”
- “List any investigation into players, coaches, employees or owners of an MLB team or affiliate for violating MLB rules related to sports betting, wagering or game manipulation or related criminal conduct between January 1, 2020 and the present.”
- “Provide all documents related to any investigation listed in response to Request 3, including: Procedures and policies used to conduct any relevant investigation; Documents received by third parties or otherwise collected by MLB during any relevant investigation; and Findings, conclusions, and actions taken as a result of any relevant investigation.”
- Procedures and policies used to conduct any relevant investigations;
- Documents received by third parties or otherwise collected by MLB during any relevant investigation; and
- Findings, conclusions and actions taken as a result of any relevant investigation.”
- “Provide communications between MLB and any sports betting platform or sports betting integrity monitor regarding suspicious or flagged sports bets: placed by players, coaches, employees or owners of MLB or an affiliated team; or placed on MLB games or proposals related to MLB games, players or teams.”
- Placed by players, coaches, employees or owners of the MLB or an affiliated team; either
- Placed on MLB games or proposals related to MLB games, players or teams.”
- “Explain to what extent MLB has addressed and plans to further address alleged instances of sports betting, wagering and game manipulation that have occurred, including: How, if anything, MLB plans to review its rules, policies, procedures or enforcement structure; How, if anything, MLB plans to review or enforce its rules regarding cell phone use during games; and How MLB plans to ensure that players, employees, coaches and owners have no ties to organized crime.”
- How MLB plans to revise its rules, policies, procedures or enforcement structure, if at all;
- How does MLB plan to review or enforce its rules regarding cell phone use during games? and
- How MLB plans to ensure players, employees, coaches and owners have no ties to organized crime.”
Two days after the allegations were revealed on Nov. 9, MLB said its licensed gaming operators will limit bets on individual fields to $200 and exclude them from parlays.
“We think the steps we've taken in terms of limiting the size of these prop bets and banning parlays from them is a really significant change that should reduce the incentive for anyone to participate inappropriately,” Manfred said.
MLB TAKES COOL DOWN WITH NEW BETTING LIMIT AFTER CLEVELAND PITCHERS CHARGE IN BETTING SCHEME
Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee sent a letter Monday to Manfred asking for information by December 5. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Manfred said MLB's internal investigation into Cleveland's pitchers did not have a timeline. Ortiz was placed on paid leave on July 3 and Clase on July 28.
“We think we need to take advantage of the off-season to make sure we conduct the most thorough and complete investigation possible,” he said.
Both Ortiz and Clase have pleaded not guilty.
Clase and Ortiz were arrested and appeared in federal court in New York last week. Clase, a three-time All-Star, pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted bribes to help players make money from their pitching. Ortiz also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Officials said in the indictment that from May 2023 to June 2025, Clase agreed with a co-conspirator to “make specific pitches in certain MLB games” so that bettors they allegedly associated with “would benefit from illegal bets placed based on that inside information.” Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025.
The indictment says Clase consulted with a punter to throw a ball on the first pitch of an at-bat when he was brought into games in relief. The indictment pointed to cases in specific games, including May 19, 2023 against the New York Mets; June 2, 2023 against the Minnesota Twins; and June 7, 2023 against the Boston Red Sox.
Clase allegedly began soliciting and receiving bribes and kickback payments for agreeing to make specific pitches in April, according to the indictment. In one case, according to the indictment, Clase used his phone in the middle of a game to coordinate with a bettor about a pitch he would make.
Bettors allegedly won $400,000 from betting platforms on releases made by Clase between 2023 and 2025.
When Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme, according to the indictment, he agreed to throw balls for strikes at certain pitches in exchange for bribes or kickbacks. He supposedly agreed to throw a ball on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners for about $5,000 on his first pitch in the second inning.
The indictment says Ortiz agreed to throw a ball on his first pitch of the third inning on June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals for $7,000. In June 2025, bettors won at least $60,000 on pitches made by Ortiz.
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The licenses of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase were extended indefinitely on August 31, 2025. (IMAGE/AP)
The announcement of the indictment came weeks after three NBA The figures were dragged in a FBI operation involving illegal gambling. Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were among more than two dozen arrested in the scheme.
Ryan Gaydos of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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