NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball says it will comply with a Senate committee's request for documents detailing gambling investigations.
Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee sent a letter Monday to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred asking for information by Dec. 5. The request followed indictments of Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz accusing them of taking bribes to rig pitches for bettors. Both have pleaded not guilty.
“We’re going to respond fully and cooperatively and on time to the Senate inquiry,” Manfred said Wednesday during a news conference at an owners meeting.
Two days after the indictments were unsealed on Nov. 9, MLB said its authorized gaming operators will cap bets on individual pitches at $200 and exclude them from parlays.
“We think the steps we’ve taken in terms of limiting the size of these prop bets and prohibiting parlays off them is a really, really significant change that should reduce the incentive for anyone to be involved in an inappropriate way,” Manfred said.
He said it was too early to say whether MLB will take a stance on prediction markets, in which contracts are traded based on actual events such as game scores.
“We’re well aware of the issues, the different regulatory framework, but not in a position where I want to articulate publicly a position on it,” he said.
Manfred said MLB's internal investigation into the Cleveland pitchers didn't have a timetable. Ortiz was placed on paid leave on July 3 and Clase on July 28. They are not on track to accrue additional salary until opening day on March 25.
“We think that we should take advantage of the offseason to make sure that we conduct the most thorough and complete investigation possible,” Manfred said.
MLB is aiding players who have received threats related to gambling following the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in most states.
“We have had in place for some time services that are available to players that receive threats of this kind in terms of providing support through law enforcement,” he said. “We do take it as a very serious issue and do provide support on an ongoing basis.”
Collective bargaining
Manfred avoided discussing management's positions in collective bargaining for a labor contract to replace the deal that expires in December 2026 and whether MLB intends to push for a salary cap system.
“We have a significant segment of our fans that have been vocal about the issue of competitive balance and in general we try to pay attention to our fans, so it is a topic of conversation,” was the most he would say.
MLB is expected to lock out players on Dec. 2, 2026, in order to try to get an agreement without shortening the 2027 season.
“There has never been a lost game since I became involved as an employee of baseball and it is my goal to get this next one done keeping that record intact,” said Manfred, who joined the MLB staff in 1998. “It’s a lot of work to be done between now and then, but that’s my goal.”
All-Star break changes
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The amateur draft is moving up a day to the Saturday before the All-Star Game and the Futures Game is being pushed back to Sunday and will be followed by a new event with former players and celebrities. NBC will televise the first hour of the draft and the rest of the round on Peacock and the MLB Network. NBC also will televise the Futures Game.
Return to Iowa
The Field of Dreams Game will resume on Aug. 13 with Minnesota playing Philadelphia at Dyersville, Iowa, which Netflix will stream. The Field of Dreams, site of the 1989 movie, hosted the Yankees and White Sox in 2021, and the Cubs and Reds the following year before closing for renovations. The Triple-A St. Paul Saints face the Iowa Cubs at the same site on Aug. 11.
Manfred said MLB plans to play in Iowa regularly but perhaps not annually.
Milwaukee will play Atlanta in the Little League Classic at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 23.
MLB signed a six-year agreement through 2031 with Pitch.com, the electronic device for catchers to signal pitches the sport has used since 2022.
“It’s been important both in terms of moving the game along and deterrence of sign stealing,” Manfred said.
Rays and Tropicana Field
Tampa Bay remains on track to return to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, for its home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 6 after a year of home games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays were forced from their ballpark by damage from Hurricane Milton.
“I think they only have two panels left, I believe, and they expect the roof to be dried out the first week in December, which is a really important milestone for us,” he said. “There’s going to be new turf and padding, new flooring throughout, renovations of the suites, the seating areas. All the air quality tests have come back fine.”
Peace prize?
MLB does not intend to follow the lead of FIFA and issue its own peace prize.
“No plans in that regard,” Manfred said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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