Former Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor dropped a bombshell in a New York courtroom this week, testifying he had no clue gamblers could place bets on individual pitches until this whole criminal case blew up.
The Courtroom Confession That Stunned
Naylor, now with the Milwaukee Brewers, was on the stand Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Brooklyn federal court, called as a defense witness for his former Guardians teammates, pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. The dude was even called out of turn because he is getting married, talk about priorities! But under cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Simmons, things got wild. Simmons grilled him about 2025 game recordings, asking if Naylor knew such bets were happening back then. Naylor’s answer? Straight up: “I didn’t know that before,” and then, “I didn’t know that until the situation.” The prosecutor even tried to ask if he knew people bet “tens of thousands of dollars on pitches,” but a defense objection shut that down. This whole thing just screams how fast sports betting has gone from zero to a hundred, spreading to 39 states since 2018. We are talking about prop betting, the kind where you bet on individual player stuff, not just who wins the game. Pitches, strikeouts, points, passing yards, the works. It is wild.
Inside the Catcher’s Mind and the Pitcher’s Mound
So, what does a catcher even *do* in all this? Naylor, questioned earlier by the defense, laid it all out. He was shown dozens of clips from 2025 of Clase and Ortiz throwing pitches. He explained that catchers are the ones telling pitchers what to throw and where to aim, pitch by pitch. They build a whole strategy pregame, analyzing batters’ weak spots to get outs. It is a chess match, right? But here is the kicker: Naylor also admitted that even the best pitchers cannot always put the ball exactly where they want it. Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had “pretty good command,” Naylor said, but “pretty good” ain’t perfect, and that matters when every pitch is potentially on the line for thousands of dollars. Naylor even studied Spanish to talk better with his teammates, which is cool, but he also admitted he was not exactly tight with Clase or Ortiz. Interesting.
The Charges and the Stakes for Clase and Ortiz
This whole trial? It is about Clase, 28, and Ortiz, 27, who both pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges filed a year ago. Prosecutors are claiming these guys took “several thousand dollars” in payments so gamblers could place those pitch-by-pitch bets, raking in at least $460,000 for the bettors. That is some serious cash! The feds say Clase, who had already finished the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract, started sharing info with bettors back in 2023 and then brought Ortiz into the scheme in 2025. Ortiz, who earned $782,600 as a starter for the Guardians in 2025, is facing the same heat. Both are currently free on bail and are on nondisciplinary leave from the club, without pay, while this mess plays out. And get this, Assistant U.S. Attorney Simmons even got Naylor to confirm he frequently saw Clase glued to his cell phone in the locker room. Coincidence? Or another piece of the puzzle? This trial is shaping up to be a wild ride.
Bo Naylor’s testimony, especially that ‘didn’t know’ bit, just threw a huge wrench into what we thought we understood about this whole sports betting scandal. What happens next with Clase and Ortiz? And what does this all mean for the integrity of the game, when players themselves might not even grasp the full scope of what is happening pitch by pitch? This story is far from over, and you know we will be watching every single update.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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