LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� Cleveland Guardians executive Chris Antonetti is sticking with the same approach that he adopted when pitchers and Luis Ortiz were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave in July.
Days after Clase and Ortiz on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches to ensure successful proposition bets, Antonetti is focused on helping the Guardians return to the playoffs.
鈥淚 think from the very beginning, I just tried to understand what do we need to do next and what鈥檚 the next best thing to do?鈥� Antonetti said Wednesday at Major League Baseball鈥檚 general managers meetings.
鈥淥bviously, there are lots of things outside of our control at this point. What we鈥檙e trying to do is focus on what we can and that鈥檚 build the best Cleveland Guardians team we can.鈥�
on Wednesday, and both players have maintained their innocence through their attorneys. Bettors allegedly made at least $460,000 off the rigged pitches.
In reaction to the scandal, MLB worked with its sports-betting partners on so-called micro bets and to remove them from parlays.
has called for the Ohio Casino Control Commission to end player-specific micro betting entirely.
鈥淚 realize it’s a really complicated issue,鈥� said Antonetti, the president of baseball operations for the Guardians. 鈥淚’m grateful for the efforts by Major League Baseball and Gov. DeWine to try to find some way to address what seemed to be a problem, so hopefully that’s a step in the right direction.鈥�
are also at the center of a scandal in the NBA. of providing inside information on teammates鈥� injuries to gamblers and removing himself prematurely from a game.
Team officials at this week’s GM meetings said they weren’t sure if more needed to be done to raise awareness of baseball’s gambling regulations, pointing out that the rules are posted in each clubhouse.
鈥淲e have those conversations, a lot of them,鈥� Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said. 鈥淚t’s not something that is ignored or isn’t addressed repeatedly. How many times do you do it? I don’t know what the answer is to that.鈥�
Agent Scott Boras said every player will be scrutinized even more in the aftermath of baseball’s latest gambling scandal, and he advocated eliminating prop bets altogether.
鈥淚 think for the players, the concern they have is for their integrity,鈥� Boras said. 鈥淚t raises the question when a player is out on the mound and throws a pitch that goes 55 feet. You have to create a system that does not allow such a bet. … You have to remove those products to make sure the integrity of the players isn’t questioned.鈥�
The Athletics had their own recent experience involving a player and sports betting. Reliever Michael Kelly and three other players June 5 after a yearlong suspension for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues. All four received the same punishment for betting less than $1,000 each.
The A’s, who recently finished the first of three scheduled seasons in West Sacramento, California, plan to move to Las Vegas in 2028.
鈥淐an鈥檛 help but think a team in Las Vegas will have even more in the spotlight on it, and hopefully all the guys are educated on avoiding it,鈥� A’s GM David Forst said. 鈥淲e had Michael Kelly in the clubhouse with a year’s suspension, and we’re very aware of those things.鈥�
Playing without Clase 鈥� a three-time All-Star closer 鈥� and Ortiz, Cleveland rallied from a 15 1/2-game deficit in July to catch Detroit and win the AL Central. The Guardians of the playoffs.
鈥淲e didn’t have either guy available to pitch for us,鈥� Antonetti said. 鈥淪o we had to figure out how to make it (work).鈥�
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