CLEVELAND, Ohio — Talking to myself about Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz being indicted on sports gambling and other charges. The representatives for both players have denied the charges in the federal indictment.

QUESTION: Why would these guys do it?

ANSWER: Let’s look at economics: Ortiz had a $782,000 salary for 2025. He’s a young pitcher in terms of MLB experience and is not close to free agency. He probably would be paid about $800,000 in 2026. He’s not yet eligible for arbitration, which raised the salaries of many players dramatically.

Q: And Clase?

A: He was paid $4.5 million in 2025. His 2026 salary is $6 million. He has team options for $10 million annually in 2027 and 2028. Given the fact he’s a three-time All-Star and twice won the Mariano Rivera Award a

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