Manfred: MLB ‘vigilant’ in policing sports betting

TORONTO — Commissioner Rob Manfred said Major League Baseball’s “No. 1 priority is to protect the integrity of the game” and that the league has been “really vigilant” amid increasing questions about professional sports’ ability to police the fallout from the widespread legalization of sports gambling.

Following the arrests this week of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and longtime NBA player and coach Damon Jones for their alleged participation in fraudulent bets, sports leagues have grappled with maintaining competitive reliability in an environment ripe for corruption. Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, closer Emmanuel Clase and starter Luis Ortiz, remain under investigation by MLB after a betting-integrity firm flagged multiple suspicious bets in June.

“We didn’t ask to have legalized sports betting,” Manfred said before Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night. “It kind of came, and that’s the environment in which we operate. Now we don’t have a lot of choice about that, and if it’s going to change — broadly change — probably the only way it would happen is the federal government.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has called for the ban of microbets — such as wagers made on whether a single pitch would be a ball or strike, as was allegedly the case with Ortiz and Clase — and MLB has corresponded with DeWine on the matter.

“The most important thing that we can do is make sure that we have systems in place that give us access to data, which puts you in a position to determine if there’s something aberrational going on,” Manfred said. “I think then when you get that, you need to conduct a thorough investigation, make sure that you understand exactly what caused that aberration. And then you need to discipline.”

While the league is “going as fast as we can” on wrapping up the investigation into Clase and Ortiz, Manfred said, he does not expect a resolution in the near term. MLB in June 2024 levied a lifetime ban against San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano and one-year suspensions for four other players who ran afoul of the league’s prohibition on betting on baseball. Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired in February for violating the league’s gambling rules.

Manfred stood by the league’s business deals with gambling companies, saying that in order to police the betting landscape, partnerships with the companies that can provide information on irregularities is necessary.

“Once you’re in that environment where sports betting is happening, the crucial issue is access to data,” Manfred said. “That means you have to have a relationship with the sports books. Like most relationships, if you want something from them, you need to give something back to them. And that’s where those relationships come from.”

Among the other topics discussed by Manfred:

• Manfred said he did not want to talk about impending labor negotiations. The current collective-bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, and questions about the league’s desire to implement a salary cap — and the players’ opposition to one — are bound to dominate discussions for the next year and beyond.

“I’m kind of focused on who’s going to win tonight,” Manfred said, referring to Game 2 of the World Series. “I want to get seven exciting games. A year from now, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about labor.”

With MLB’s postseason expanding from 10 teams to 12 upon the signing of the last collective-bargaining agreement, Manfred said: “I really like the way 12 has played out. I think the wild card round, playing a series like we normally play baseball, is a big improvement. And we’ve had great postseasons. We really have. So I am pretty happy with the 12 right now.”

• While the league has “made a lot of progress” with Olympic officials about the possibility of MLB players participating in the Los Angeles Games in 2028, Manfred said, hurdles remain, including an agreement with the MLB Players Association and reconciling the effect on the All-Star Game.

“The owners have kind of crossed the line in terms of we’d like to do it if we can possibly make it work,” Manfred said, “but there are logistical issues that still need to be worked for.”

• Manfred said he is “hopeful” that Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field, which needed extensive renovations after Hurricane Milton tore off its roof and forced the Rays to play in a minor league stadium this year, will be ready for its opening homestand next year.

“It’s certainly going to be open very early in the year,” Manfred said.

• Manfred’s assessment of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who has helped expand the game’s footprint worldwide: “The greatest benefit to the game that you can imagine”