Bo Naylor Backs Clase and Ortiz as MLB Micro‑betting Trial Continues

Bo Naylor defended Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz at their federal gambling trial on November 5, telling jurors that the pitches prosecutors say were manipulated looked normal to him. Prosecutors say the broader scheme generated at least $460,000 in betting winnings and have presented geolocation and witness testimony linking suspicious wagers to people associated with Clase.

Naylor: pitches fit scouting and game plans

Naylor testified that several of the contested deliveries matched scouting reports and routine game strategy. He said he caught 14 of the 16 starts Ortiz made in 2025, including the June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and that scouting reports had identified outside sliders as weaknesses for the hitters involved in two of the alleged manipulated pitches.

"Slider low and away," Naylor told defence attorney Paul Flannery.

Naylor also said he caught seven of the 18 pitches prosecutors contend were manipulated by Emmanuel Clase between May 2023 and May 2025 and noticed nothing unusual. Naylor joined the Milwaukee Brewers in August and told the court he had not previously known that gamblers could place wagers on individual pitch outcomes; he described cooperating with bettors as a betrayal but said he did not believe either pitcher had acted improperly.

Prosecution testimony and DraftKings evidence

Prosecutors called witnesses who described directions to bet on specific pitches and presented betting-account data. Edward Canario testified that co-defendant Luis Arismendy Paca Méndez told him to wager on specific pitch outcomes during May and June 2023 and that he placed wagers worth up to $600 on pitch speed and results, including balls and hit batters. Canario testified, "I had inside information on these pitches," though on cross-examination he acknowledged that Paca Méndez never explicitly said he possessed inside information.

Joel Trella, director of the DraftKings special investigations unit, reported 160 geolocation pings tied to a betting account at Clase's Cleveland residence. Prosecutors said 14 people were geolocated at the property on that day, and Canario testified that Paca Méndez lived with Clase and warned him not to discuss the allegedly guaranteed bets.

Charges, league rules and case status

The federal indictment, returned in November 2025, charged Clase and Ortiz with schemes to manipulate pitch locations and speeds to profit gamblers; both pitchers pleaded not guilty. The government alleges the scheme produced at least $460,000 in winnings. Neither pitcher has played in Major League Baseball since going on non‑disciplinary administrative leave in July 2025.

The case intersects with league policy: under Major League Baseball Rule 21 and the league's betting policies, players may not bet on baseball or assist others in placing baseball wagers, and betting on a game involving their own team can result in permanent ineligibility. The federal prosecution, however, frames the allegations as fraud and manipulation rather than only league-rule breaches.

Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto told the court she expects proceedings to continue until at least December 3. The trial record includes witness testimony, DraftKings account analysis and Naylor's on‑field perspective on the contested pitches. Readers following developments in micro‑betting markets can find related coverage in our sports section.