Alex Rodriguez Believes This One Thing Will Curb Illegal Gambling

Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez knows all about scandals, considering he was embroiled in his own on more than one occasion throughout his career. Today, however, the 14-time All-Star is breaking his silence on the latest scandal to stun the baseball community: the indictment of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase on felony fraud charges.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Rodriguez, a 2009 World Series champion, seemingly hinted that he wasn’t as surprised by the recent gambling scandal that has rocked the MLB as some others might have been, explaining that betting on sports has been around longer than many realize.

“I think baseball was created around 1876 or something. You may want to fact check on that, but it is right around there,” he said, (actually 1839, according to Baseball 360). “And the first gambling scandal was a year later, in 1877. So sports betting has been around a minute.”

As he continued, Rodriguez admitted that while there have been “hiccups” in sports betting, there’s one new invention he believes will help major sports leagues manage gambling and curb malpractice: advanced technology.

“Here’s what I will say — through technology and AI, something that you could have investigated over five years or decade, now we can figure and track in a matter of hours,” he said.

He added, “And that’s the good news. And we have incredible leadership in sports. We have incredible leadership in baseball, football and the NBA, and I’m sure we’ll get it right.”

Rodriguez is no stranger to public scandals, as he admitted in 2009 to taking performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003, according to ESPN.

The athlete was one of 104 players who tested positive for banned substances during an anonymous 2003 survey, which became public several years later.

While addressing the allegations, Rodriguez was extremely candid about his actions, admitting he “felt an enormous amount of pressure” to perform at a high level when he joined the Rangers.

He also spoke about the “culture” of baseball being different at that time, describing it as “very loose” and blaming his wrongdoings on being “young … stupid … [and] naive.”

Former President Barack Obama reacted shortly after, calling it “depressing” before expressing sadness for the “ballplayers who played it straight.”

Rodriguez’s statements on sports betting come days after the federal government announced two Cleveland Guardians players had been indicted on fraud charges for their alleged involvement in an MLB gambling scheme that generated more than $400,000 across betting platforms.

According to a previous report from The Blast, Ortiz and Clase face a host of charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy.

The charges stem from the two players allegedly working with corrupt gamblers to rig pitches during two MLB games, on which several “co-conspirators” placed a high number of “fraudulent bets” on those pitches.

“The bettors used the advanced, inside information that Clase provided about his future pitches to wager thousands of dollars at online sportsbooks,” the indictment read.

Court documents also reveal that the two men allegedly received bribes or kickbacks for helping rig pitches, totaling $12,000 for their pitches on June 15 and June 27, 2025.

If convicted, the two Cleveland athletes face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy count, 20 years on the honest services wire fraud conspiracy count, five years on the conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery count, and 20 years on the money laundering conspiracy count.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella blasted Ortiz and Clase in a statement and later reminded the public of the importance of honesty in “America’s pastime.”

“Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us. Today’s charges make clear that our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who corrupt sports through illegal means,” Nocella added.

Ortiz was released on a $500,000 bond and was required to surrender his passport after prosecutors branded him a “flight risk.”

His lawyer, Chris Georgalis, fired back at the claims, saying, “He has never and would never improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”

He added, “Luis is and always has been a fierce competitor. He has always given his best effort in every inning of every game. Those who have played with him know this. And the government’s investigation, including discussions with Luis’ teammates, supports this as well.”