Troubling Pittsburgh Pirates trend officially a concern amid latest investigation

Over the last two MLB seasons, there have been a concerning number of gambling-related controversies. LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was originally under suspicion of gambling, before it was revealed that his translator was behind the activity. Four minor league players also received a one-year suspension for sports gambling in 2024. This year, two Cleveland Guardians pitchers have been under investigation for suspicious activity that correlates with gambling. One is closer Emmanuel Clase, but the other is a former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, Luis Ortiz.

The Pirates dealt Ortiz to the Guardians as part of the package that netted the Bucs Spencer Horwitz during last offseason. Ortiz had made 16 starts and pitched 88 innings with the Guards before he was placed on leave on July 3. According to The Athletic, questionable betting activity flagged by a betting-integrity firm raised red flags. Two pitches in particular stood out as suspicious: one on June 15 against Seattle Mariners’ outfielder Randy Arozarena, and another against St. Louis Cardinals’ catcher Pedro Pages.

Ortiz has not received a suspension; however, his locker at Progressive Field, along with Clase's, was reportedly cleaned out. The Pirates have a seriously concerning trend on their hands right now: this is now the second season in a row they have had a former player involved in a gambling controversy. Last year, utility man Tucupita Marcano was given a lifetime suspension, the first player to get banned under MLB’s sports gambling provision since Jimmy O’Connell 100 years prior in 1924. Pete Rose’s suspension did not come under this provision, given that it was a mutual agreement.

Two former Pittsburgh Pirates caught up in serious gambling controversies

Marcano reportedly placed 387 bets. 231 of these bets were MLB-related, with 25 involving the Pirates. The bets were apparently placed on the results of games when Marcano was on the injured list after he'd suffered an ACL injury that required season-ending surgery in early August. Originally acquired in the deal that sent Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres, the Pirates put Marcano on waivers at the end of the 2024 season, and he returned to the Padres. Marcano received his ban in early June while still recovering from his ACL surgery.

One former Pirates player involved with gambling is already concerning, especially when that player was placing bets while still on the team. It is a bad look for an organization that has already had plenty of bad looks in recent years. But two years in a row? Even if Ortiz didn’t place bets on games while he was a member of the Pirates, that’s a trend that the Pirates need to be concerned about.

Hopefully, it was only Marcano, and Ortiz does not receive a permanent ban, nor is it revealed that he placed bets on games prior to getting traded to his new team. One has to stay optimistic that the Pirates aren’t ever directly affected by a player’s actions like this. Regardless, the Pirates have now had two very recent former players under investigation for gambling two seasons in a row. It is, at the very least, a little worrying.