The illegal gambling operation at the center of the Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara scandal reportedly also involves one of Ohtani’s teammates.
David Fletcher, who played with Ohtani for the Los Angeles Angels and is currently suiting up for the Atlanta Braves’ Triple affiliate in Gwinnett, has placed bets with bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, according to ESPN.
Fletcher’s close friend, former Kansas City Royals minor leaguer Colby Schultz, was also reportedly involved. Schultz allegedly placed bets on baseball, including Angels games in which Fletcher played, and was identified as “Bookmaker 3” in the indictment against Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter.
Fletcher reportedly placed bets on several sports, but not on baseball. Placing bets with illegal bookmakers is prohibited by the MLB, even if not on baseball, with penalties at the discretion of the commissioner.
ESPN reports that MLB is expected to begin an investigation into Fletcher.
David Fletcher had already surfaced in the Ippei Mizuhara investigation
Fletcher had already made a cameo in the investigation into Mizuhara, when he confirmed to ESPN in March that he was present at the 2021 poker game at the Angels’ team hotel in San Diego, where Mizuhara met Bowyer, kicking off what would be a $17 become. million bank fraud scandal.
According to ESPN, Fletcher said he did not introduce Bowyer to Mizuhara, but the bookmaker gained access to the team hotel through an acquaintance of his. He also reportedly said he met Bowyer while playing golf and knew he was a bookmaker at the time of the poker game.
Fletcher’s Angels tenure completely overlapped with Ohtani’s, joining the team as a rookie in 2018 and leaving after the 2023 season. Fletcher was known as one of Ohtani’s closest friends on the team.
Fletcher signed a five-year, $26 million contract extension with the Angels in 2021 after building a reputation for his strong contact skills and defensive versatility. His productivity dipped shortly after he put pen to paper, hitting .259/.296/.327 and just six home runs over the next three seasons.
The Angels shelved Fletcher’s contract in December when they traded him and catcher Max Stassi to the Braves in exchange for minor leaguers Evan White and Tyler Thomas. Fletcher spent most of the 2024 season in the minors with Gwinnett, appearing in just five games for the big league club.
Shohei Ohtani’s involvement in the bookmaking scandal still appears minimal
While Ohtani’s teammate emerging in the scandal involving his former interpreter may raise some eyebrows, the reported details don’t really seem to change much of what was already known about the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s involvement.
The federal criminal complaint against Mizuhara made it very clear that the government views Ohtani as a victim of Mizuhara, who reportedly agreed to plead guilty to bank fraud and filed a false tax return and faces decades in prison. Ohtani consented to federal agents searching his phone, but no mention of illegal gambling between him and Mizuhara was made.
Fletcher’s reported involvement adds details to how Bowyer was introduced to Mizuhara – namely that Fletcher knew the bookmaker – and it could also lead to awkward questions for the Angels if the two actually met at a team hotel.
It has already been established that the Angels had an illegal drug ring within their walls, which resulted in the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, and it now appears that one of their players had a tangible connection to an illegal gambling ring, resulting in a theft of $17 million. .
