MLB Caught Emmanuel Clase Using Cell Phone Before Betting Probe

MLB’s crackdown on in-game cell phone use—rules born out of the sign-stealing era—has taken on a more serious dimension. Those same policies now sit at the center of a federal illegal betting case involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.

What started as an integrity measure to protect signals and strategy has unexpectedly collided with the fast-growing world of sports gambling. This clash exposes real vulnerabilities in how baseball polices technology, wagering, and player conduct.

How MLB’s Phone Rules Ended Up in a Federal Betting Case

After the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, Major League Baseball tightened its regulations around electronic devices in and near the dugout. The main goal: stop teams from using technology to decode signs in real time.

Now, those same rules face a new test. Federal prosecutors claim Clase and Ortiz worked with gamblers to manipulate pitch outcomes for profit.

Allegations Against Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz

Prosecutors say the scheme focused on prearranged pitch outcomes and real-time communication during games. Investigators believe Clase, Cleveland’s All-Star closer, acted as the key link between the clubhouse and the betting world.

The core accusations include:

These remain allegations, but they go far beyond traditional sign stealing. They raise the possibility that pitch-by-pitch integrity was compromised for financial gain, which feels like a direct threat to the foundation of competitive sports.

MLB’s Electronics Policy: From Sign Stealing to Sports Betting

MLB’s technology policies weren’t designed with the sports betting boom in mind. They mainly aimed to stop teams from using cameras, monitors, and devices to decode signs.

But the case involving Clase and Ortiz shows how those same tools can be twisted to exploit the betting markets that now surround every pitch.

The Evolution of In-Game Cell Phone Rules

During the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the rule was clear: no player cell phone use during games, period. The league and the players’ union agreed that strict separation between personal devices and in-game activity was essential.

Heading into the 2025 season, MLB and the MLBPA agreed to loosen those restrictions a bit, allowing limited “personal use” of phones in the clubhouse. That softening, while modest on paper, opened up more gray area for enforcement and created more room for misuse.

The Athletic reported that MLB had previously reprimanded Emmanuel Clase for impermissible cell phone use even before this gambling investigation became public. That prior warning now stands out as investigators look at patterns of behavior and communication.

Monitoring the Monitors: How MLB Polices Electronics

MLB stations three monitors at every game to police the use of electronics. Their presence is supposed to deter violations and catch any misuse of devices in real time.

But even league officials admit the system isn’t perfect. Enforcement often feels imperfect and contentious, with friction when monitors challenge players, coaches, or staff over what’s happening behind the scenes.

Prosecutors in the Clase case cite specific instances this season in which he allegedly messaged a bettor during a game. Minutes later, those bettors reportedly placed successful wagers on pitch outcomes, tightening the timeline between communication and profit in a way that raises serious red flags.

Why MLB Relaxed Phone Rules—and What Changed

Despite the ongoing battle against cheating, MLB believed that the biggest risk—electronic sign stealing—was fading. They felt more confident thanks to PitchCom, the system that lets catchers send encrypted pitch calls directly to the pitcher via an earpiece.

With PitchCom in place and sign stealing less appealing, the league felt okay loosening some of the tightest phone restrictions, especially for non-baseball use in private areas like clubhouses.

The New Threat: Betting, Not Just Sign Stealing

This case makes it clear that the danger isn’t just about decoding signs anymore. Now it’s about real-time betting markets that allow wagers on granular outcomes—from the result of a single pitch to the sequence of a single at-bat.

In response to the indictment, MLB worked with its sportsbook partners to sharply limit pitch-by-pitch prop bets, especially the types of wagers most easily manipulated by a single player in on the scheme.

For now, MLB hasn’t signaled sweeping changes to its monitoring policies or a full reversal of the new “personal use” phone allowances. But the Clase–Ortiz case might force the league to rethink how technology and betting collide—and whether their safeguards are really strong enough.

Potential Consequences: Lifetime Bans on the Table

Baseball’s gambling rules are famously strict. If MLB’s investigation finds that Clase or Ortiz bet on baseball or helped influence games, both pitchers could face lifetime bans.

The legal case will move through federal court. Meanwhile, MLB’s integrity unit plans to run its own review, considering the evidence and the kind of message any punishment might send—especially now, when legal betting is tangled up with the game’s business side.

It’s wild to think what started as an effort to stop sign stealing has morphed into a test of MLB’s ability to police gambling in this fast, data-obsessed, real-time betting world. The decision here won’t just affect Cleveland; it’ll ripple through every clubhouse, sportsbook, and living room where fans hope the game stays real and untainted.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Before betting probe, MLB caught Emmanuel Clase breaking cell phone rules built for sign-stealing era