Former Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor testified in federal court on Thursday that he perceived nothing untoward about disputed pitches thrown by former All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and his former Guardians teammate Luis Ortiz. Naylor, who played five seasons for the Guardians and is now with the Milwaukee Brewers, appeared as a defense witness in the ongoing federal trial where prosecutors allege that Clase and Ortiz rigged multiple pitches to benefit co-conspiring bettors.
In Clase's case, the alleged rigging occurred in 17 games across a two-year period beginning in May 2023. Naylor was the catcher for some of those appearances, including seven of the 18 pitches Clase is accused of manipulating. During testimony, Naylor reviewed video replays of the pitches in question and said they looked like common sliders outside the strike zone. He added that scouting reports on the hitters Ortiz faced indicated sliders low and away would be a "weapon."
Clase and Ortiz were indicted in November 2025 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. The Department of Justice alleges the pitchers agreed in advance with co-conspirators to throw specific pitch types and speeds, earning at least $450,000 by rigging outings for bettors. Both have pleaded not guilty. They have been on administrative leave since late June 2025 while Major League Baseball conducts its own investigation, and MLB retains authority to discipline them regardless of the criminal trial's outcome. If convicted on charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy, they could face up to 65 years in prison.
