First ball 17.45 million won → Shock match-fixing scandal! Your annual salary is 49 billion, why the hell..
Nov 10, 2025
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MLB.COM, the official website of Major League Baseball, said on the 10th (Korea time) 'New York prosecutors charged Clase and Ortiz with tampering with pitches in MLB games' They reportedly received 12,000 dollars (about 17.45 million won) in exchange for the rigged pitch. He conspired in advance and threw a designated ball. Against the first batter, he threw a ball that went wide out of the strike zone or stuck in the dirt floor.
According to The Athletic, the indictment released by prosecutors amounted to 23 pages. Clase and Ortiz are accused of unfairly profiting from manipulating some pitching results in advance during Major League Baseball games from May 2023 to June this year. They were indicted on a total of four charges, including manipulation of the economy and money laundering.
The Athletic said 'Ortiz was arrested in Boston. He is scheduled to appear in court on the 11th. Clase is staying abroad. If convicted, he could face up to 65 years in prison. They explained that their unfair profits were at least $400,000 (about 580 million won).
Joseph Nossela Jr., the federal prosecutor in New York, said "Defendants undermined the honest services of the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball. Honesty, integrity and fairness are the DNA of professional sports. When corruption penetrates sports, the public cannot be trusted. We will continue to vigorously deal with those who corrupt sport in illegal ways," he said emphatically.
The Cleveland club made an official statement saying it would fully cooperate with related agencies and Major League Baseball while the investigation is underway.
Clase's fall is shocking. He signed a five-year, $20 million guarantee contract with Cleveland in 2022. In 2025, the annual salary alone was 4.9 million dollars (about 7.1 billion won). He has topped 40 saves for three consecutive years since 2022. He was named an All-Star for the third consecutive year. Ortiz was also a promising player in the team's next generation.
If convicted, he will be expelled permanently from the Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball has established that `if a player referee club or league official bets any amount on a baseball game, they will be permanently disqualified.'
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
