MLB Probes David Fletcher's Ties to Illegal Betting Scandal

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00:00 I think we've kind of thought it was the end and now a new wrinkle to this and I wonder

00:06 how much more we're going to find out.

00:08 We're also going to find out what kind of friend David Fletcher was to Shohei Ohtani

00:11 and his interpreter, indeed, if this story is true.

00:15 Yeah, Craig.

00:16 So the Associated Press reported over the weekend that Major League Baseball is investigating

00:20 David Fletcher for potentially betting with this illegal bookmaker, the same one that

00:24 Shohei Ohtani's former translator bet with.

00:28 Obviously, we know that this translator is going to plead guilty to stealing $17 million

00:34 from Ohtani to pay back gambling debts to this alleged illegal bookmaker, David Boyer.

00:40 Fletcher and Ohtani apparently were close friends.

00:43 Obviously the translator would have known both of them from their time with the Angels.

00:46 So yeah, Craig, a lot to unpack here, obviously.

00:49 We know that Mizuhara is going to plan to plead guilty.

00:52 He could serve up to 33 years in federal prison for a couple of charges, failing to file a

00:57 lot of proper taxes, and then the fraud that he stole from Ohtani.

01:01 So David Fletcher, like you said, is he a good teammate?

01:04 Is there more to this story?

01:05 The federal authorities have cleared Ohtani in this investigation.

01:09 In the ESPN reporting, it said that Fletcher bet with a minor league player as well, that

01:13 minor league player bet on games that Fletcher played in.

01:16 I don't believe Fletcher bet on baseball, I think, according to the reporting by the

01:19 AP and ESPN.

01:20 But obviously, we'll see on that front.

01:22 That's certainly prohibited, as is betting with an illegal bookmaker.

01:25 Fletcher, like you said, throwing knuckleballs in the minors.

01:27 I think he got lit up yesterday, had a couple of solid outings.

01:30 He was certainly a speedy contact hitter in his major league career.

01:35 Switched, transitioned here, and now faces this.

01:37 So we'll see, right?

01:38 I mean, how long does he play before the-- whether he's put on some sort of list, a prohibited

01:43 list until the investigation is pending, or they suspend him right off the bat indefinitely

01:48 until it's over.

01:49 We'll see.

01:50 I don't know how the MILB, Players Association, how that works.

01:54 But clearly, like you said, Craig, we're not done here.

01:57 Baseball wants to be done with this.

01:58 But Tani is the face of the sport.

02:00 But now here we have a former teammate and apparently close friend tied to the same investigation

02:06 that the interpreter is under.

02:08 And I think they've met the illegal bookmaker at a poker game.

02:11 I think Fletcher and Mizuhara met Boyer at a poker game in San Diego in 2021.

02:16 So a lot here will be following it.

02:18 Certainly, I know, obviously, the major outlets will as well, who have dominated the reporting

02:22 here.

02:23 So I think there's still quite a lot to go on.

02:24 And you hope that Tani is cleared if you're baseball.

02:27 Maybe we don't worry so much about Fletcher.

02:29 It's fine if a minor league guy, contact, career hitter, 250 career hitter, gets suspended

02:35 or something to that extent.

02:37 But you don't want Tani tied up in this.

02:39 And clearly, this isn't over.

02:40 [MUSIC PLAYING]

02:42 (upbeat music)

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