The legal road is officially mapped out for Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who are both facing federal gambling charges. A trial date is now set, and it's coming sooner than many expected.
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Jury selection will begin on May 4, according to multiple reports. The trial is expected to start either later that week or the following Monday, May 11, and should run about two weeks.
Both pitchers have pleaded not guilty to allegations that they rigged microbets on pitches they threw. Prosecutors say no plea deals have been offered.
Major League Baseball is keeping its distance for now. As The Cleveland Plain Dealer noted, the league is likely to wait for the legal process to play out before deciding on any discipline for Clase or Ortiz. The potential punishment range is wide. They could face suspensions. They could also face lifetime bans.
Sportsbooks have already reacted, tightening limits on pitch-by-pitch prop bets. The case has also triggered political fallout. Ohio governor Mike DeWine recently expressed regret about the state's push into legalized sports gambling.
MLB isn't alone in dealing with these issues. The NBA is battling a separate scandal involving allegations of rigged prop bets and misuse of inside information.
As for the NFL, no similar scandal has surfaced. But given the reaction around baseball and basketball, you can bet the league would do everything possible to keep it buried if one ever did.
