Cleveland Guardians’ standout pitcher Emmanuel Clase was apprehended on Thursday at John F. Kennedy Airport on allegations of receiving bribes to assist bettors in winning wagers on his pitches. Clase, aged 27, was detained upon his arrival from the Dominican Republic. The U.S. attorney’s office stated that the three-time all-star and two-time American League reliever of the year is set to make a court appearance in Brooklyn later in the day. Meanwhile, his teammate Luis Ortiz, also linked to the purported scheme, entered a not guilty plea the day before.
Both Clase and Ortiz have been on paid leave without sanctions since July while Major League Baseball probed into what it described as unusually high betting activity during their appearances. Prosecutors assert that the duo accepted bribes amounting to thousands of dollars to aid two unidentified gamblers in the Dominican Republic in winning over $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and results of their pitches. The accusations claim that Clase, in the fourth year of a five-year, $20 million contract, began sharing pitch information with the bettors in 2023 but only started requesting payoffs earlier this year. They allege that Clase deliberately threw manipulated pitches at the start of an at-bat, ensuring the balls were outside the strike zone to influence umpire calls.
In a specific instance during a game against the Boston Red Sox in April, Clase reportedly communicated with a bettor via phone just before pitching, resulting in a successful $11,000 wager on the pitch’s speed. Prosecutors also claim that Clase recruited Ortiz into the scheme this year and at times provided funds to support the bets. Clase’s attorney, Michael Ferrara, emphasized his client’s dedication to baseball and team success, maintaining Clase’s innocence. Similarly, Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, denied the allegations, stating that his client’s financial transactions in the Dominican Republic were legitimate.
Clase and Ortiz face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting events through bribery. The most severe charges carry a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. Following the indictments of the two pitchers, Major League Baseball introduced new restrictions on betting on individual pitches. These cases are the latest in a string of gambling controversies in American professional sports since the legalization of sports betting in most states following a pivotal 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. In a separate incident last month, numerous individuals, including prominent basketball figures like Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, were arrested in a widespread gambling investigation involving NBA players and organized crime syndicates.