Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by MLB as it investigates their involvement in sports betting irregularities.
Ortiz’s absence has affected the rotation, and Clase’s involvement left the bullpen without its most consistent producer and a top trade piece, affecting the team’s plans for this season.
According to multiple reports, the Guardians were looking to trade Clase for a franchise-altering haul.
It’s evident that the pitchers’ actions heavily affected the organization’s plans in 2025, and Bruce Drennan recently considered what it would do going forward.
“Will the Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz situation set the Guardians back beyond 2026? ‘It’s impossible to answer,'” the Bruce Drennan Show wrote on X.
Will the Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz situation set the #Guardians back beyond 2026? #GuardsBall
"It's impossible to answer."
-Bruce
Presented by @drinkgaragebeer https://t.co/UsJc4UIb6p pic.twitter.com/L9vSO8f42h
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) August 4, 2025
He said it depends on the outcome of MLB’s investigation.
The front office cannot let this negatively affect next year’s planning.
Right now, every sign indicates the Guardians will move on.
Clase and Ortiz have likely thrown their last pitch with the organization, so they must build a team assuming they won’t be in the picture.
It’s hard to ignore what could have been with those two on the pitching staff, especially in Clase’s case, but they are leaving the organization little choice.
Right now, the best the Guardians can do is focus on making the playoffs without the two pitchers.
NEXT: Guardians Shortstop Called One Of Team’s Most Talented Players
