MLB catcher who was behind plate for alleged rigged pitches testifies in Guardians pitchers’ gambling case

Bo Naylor testified in a New York court about pitches thrown by Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who are accused of rigging pitches for gamblers. His account matters because he was the catcher for some of the pitches under scrutiny, and he described how normal game strategy and a pitcher’s imperfect control can affect where a ball goes.

Naylor said he appeared to call a slider away to St Louis Cardinals batter Pedro Pages because it targeted a weakness, and that he did not know bettors could wager on individual pitches. He described pregame planning between catchers and pitchers, said Clase had better command of his fastball than his offspeed pitches, and acknowledged seeing him use a phone in the locker room. Prosecutors allege Clase communicated with bettors during games; the indictment says bettors won $400,000 on his pitches from 2023 to 2025, and that Ortiz joined the alleged scheme in June 2025.