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Major League Baseball will supply documents to the Senate Commerce Committee as lawmakers expand their review of gambling-related misconduct across professional sports. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell requested records from Commissioner Rob Manfred and asked for them by 5 December.
Good to Know
The Senate inquiry follows federal charges against Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. Prosecutors say both accepted money from bettors in the Dominican Republic to influence individual pitches, including deliberately throwing balls in the dirt. Authorities allege the scheme helped bettors win about $460,000 on in-game props tied to pitch speed and outcomes. Ortiz and Clase have pleaded not guilty and face lengthy prison sentences if convicted. Their next court appearance is scheduled for 2 December.
MLB placed both players on paid leave in July after internal monitoring flagged suspicious wagering patterns from April through June. Manfred said the league’s investigation is ongoing. “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.
In response to the indictment, MLB directed authorized sportsbooks to tighten pitch-related betting markets. Operators must now cap individual pitch prop wagers at $200 and remove those bets from parlays. Manfred said:
“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.”
During MLB’s owners meeting, Manfred confirmed that the league will cooperate with the Senate request. “We’re going to respond fully and cooperatively and on time to the Senate inquiry,” he said.
He also addressed concerns about threats that players have received after gambling investigations surfaced. “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,” Manfred said.
The MLB developments come as the NBA deals with its own integrity cases. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Hall of Fame Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups were arrested in October in unrelated FBI investigations. Prosecutors allege Billups took part in illegal poker games tied to organized crime, while Rozier is accused of providing inside information to influence prop bets between 2023 and 2024.
Rozier had previously been cleared by the league. His attorney said:
“Terry was cleared by the NBA, and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight.”
Former NBA player Damon Jones has also been implicated in the same investigation.
Additional MLB Updates
Manfred declined to comment on collective bargaining matters as MLB approaches the expiration of its labor deal in December 2026. He said maintaining uninterrupted seasons remains a priority, noting:
“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 also confirmed that the next Field of Dreams Game will return to Iowa on 13 August, featuring Minnesota and Philadelphia, and highlighted ongoing repair work at Tropicana Field after hurricane damage.