Cleveland Guardians’ standout pitcher Emmanuel Clase was apprehended on Thursday at John F. Kennedy Airport on accusations of receiving bribes to manipulate his pitches in favor of gamblers. Clase, aged 27, was arrested upon his arrival from the Dominican Republic, as confirmed by the U.S. attorney’s office.
The renowned pitcher, a three-time all-star and two-time American League reliever of the year, is set to make a court appearance later in the day for his arraignment. His teammate, Luis Ortiz, who was also involved in the alleged scheme, pleaded not guilty the day before.
Both players have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July when Major League Baseball (MLB) initiated an investigation into suspiciously high betting activity during their games. Prosecutors claim that Clase and Ortiz accepted bribes totaling thousands of dollars to assist two unidentified gamblers from the Dominican Republic in winning over $460,000 on wagers related to the speed and results of their pitches.
Allegations suggest that Clase shared information about his pitches with the bettors in 2023 but only started demanding payoffs earlier this year. It is further asserted that Clase often threw prearranged pitches at the beginning of an at-bat, intentionally aiming outside the strike zone to ensure the umpire called it a ball rather than a strike.
In a specific instance during a game against the Boston Red Sox in April, Clase reportedly communicated with a bettor by phone just before pitching, resulting in the bettor winning $11,000 on a prediction involving Clase’s pitch speed.
Clase supposedly recruited Ortiz into the scheme and occasionally provided funds to support the bets. Defense lawyers for both players have maintained their innocence, emphasizing Clase’s dedication to baseball and his team’s success. Ortiz’s lawyer has also refuted the charges, stating that the monetary transactions between his client and individuals in the Dominican Republic were legitimate.
Clase and Ortiz face multiple charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, with potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Following their indictments, MLB announced strict new regulations on betting on individual pitches.
These developments mark the most recent gambling scandals in American professional sports post the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in numerous states. In a related incident last month, multiple individuals, including prominent figures in the NBA like Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, were apprehended in a gambling investigation involving leaked insider information and manipulated poker games linked to organized crime.