The Cleveland Guardians lost their superstar closer Emmanuel Clase in one of the most unexpected ways: an alleged betting scandal. And Clase's teammates apparently were none too pleased to hear about it.
When speaking on the impact of the scandal, which ensnared not only Clase but also starting pitcher Luis Ortiz, Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff pointed to the mental and cultural makeup of the team in how they avoided imploding and instead rallied to win the AL Central.
“That hit us hard,” Chernoff said. “Colt, like you said, we have to separate ourselves. We can't do it with the economics. We have to do it in other ways. And culture is such a huge part of what we do. Our scouts do a phenomenal job of understanding and learning the makeup of each player. And we try to bring in great people, not just great players, and we do the same thing with coaches and scouts and whoever that we're bringing into the organization, so we can separate ourselves in culture. And when something like that happens, man, it's a knock to the whole organization — obviously, what it does on the field, but also what it does off the field.
“I think what I would say is how our guys bounce back from something like that tells you everything you need to know. I mean, our guys were pissed. They were not happy. I'm sure you've talked to some of our players. Still, every time I read anything about it, I'm cringing. It makes my stomach unsettled just to see some of the stuff that's been written about. And yet, our guys never gave up.”
"Our guys were pissed. Still, every time I read anything about it, I cringe."
Guardians GM Mike Chernoff is incredibly proud of how the team bounced back after Emmanuel Clase's alleged pitch-rigging surfaced. pic.twitter.com/ZFNETJmTpu
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 18, 2026
MLB placed both Clase and Ortiz on non-disciplinary paid leave in late July amid an investigation into irregular betting behavior. Reports subsequently surfaced alleging they were a part of a pitch-rigging scheme in which they allegedly manipulated specific pitches to benefit betting associates. The scandal came less than a year after Clase, the best closer in baseball, struggled mightily at big moments during the 2024 postseason.
Despite not having either Clase or Ortiz for most of the last few months of the 2025 season, the Guardians went 48-26 after starting the year 40-48. The hot stretch enabled Cleveland to catch the first-place Detroit Tigers and win the AL Central despite almost nonexistent odds to do so at the All-Star break.
To start the 2026 season, the Guardians have the third-best odds to win their division (+430), behind the Tigers and Kansas City Royals, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
