At 3:16 p.m. ET on April 26, just before he entered the game in the eighth inning, Cleveland Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase texted an associate who was sitting in the stands at Progressive Field. The two then held a two-minute phone call despite MLB rules prohibiting players from using their phones during games.

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Four minutes later, a group of bettors won about $11,000 by wagering that a particular pitch by Clase would register at slower than 97.95 mph. After the game, Clase and the associate rendezvoused at Clase’s residence, not the only instance of the bettor visiting Clase at his home after allegedly profiting off his predetermined pitches.

Clase and fellow Guardian pitcher Luis Ortiz were charged Sunday with wire fraud and several counts of conspiracy. The pitch-speed scheme was alleged in a 23-page indictment outlining the charges.

As Clase was racking up league-leading saves totals and All-Star Game appearances, he was allegedly spiking 57-foot sliders to benefit a group of co-conspirators. Clase and Ortiz face up to 65 years in prison if convicted.

Clase was not in custody as of early Sunday afternoon; he is out of the country, according to a law enforcement source. Ortiz was arrested Sunday in Boston and is set to appear in court on Monday.

Neither Clase nor Ortiz pitched after July, when both were placed on paid leave after the league launched an investigation into whether they were predetermining pitches. By that point, the operation had allegedly netted its co-conspirators more than $450,000 in winnings since May 2023.