Cleveland Guardians’ standout pitcher Emmanuel Clase was apprehended at John F. Kennedy Airport on Thursday on allegations of receiving payments to manipulate his pitches to benefit gamblers. Clase, aged 27, was detained upon his arrival from the Dominican Republic, as confirmed by the U.S. attorney’s office. The accomplished player is scheduled to make a court appearance in Brooklyn later in the day for his arraignment. His fellow Guardians teammate, Luis Ortiz, who was also implicated in the purported scheme, entered a plea of not guilty the day prior.
Both pitchers have been on paid leave without disciplinary actions since July, when Major League Baseball (MLB) initiated an inquiry into suspiciously high betting activity during their games. Prosecutors claim that Clase and Ortiz accepted bribes amounting to thousands of dollars to assist two unidentified gamblers from their homeland in the Dominican Republic in winning over $460,000 on bets related to the speed and results of their pitches. It is alleged that Clase began sharing pitch information with the bettors in 2023 but only started demanding payoffs earlier this year. Prosecutors assert that Clase frequently threw manipulated pitches at the start of an at-bat, deliberately aiming to throw the ball out of the strike zone to ensure it was called a ball rather than a strike by the umpire.
During a game against the Boston Red Sox in April, Clase reportedly communicated with one of the bettors via phone just before pitching. Shortly after, the bettor and associates earned $11,000 on a wager involving the speed of Clase’s pitch. Prosecutors claim Clase recruited Ortiz to join the scheme this year and occasionally provided money to support the bets. Clase’s legal representative, Michael Ferrara, maintains his client’s innocence, stating Clase’s commitment to baseball and helping his team succeed. Likewise, Chris Georgalis, Ortiz’s lawyer, refutes the accusations, explaining that the financial transactions between his client and individuals in the Dominican Republic were lawful.
Clase and Ortiz face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery. The most severe charges could lead to a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Following the indictment of the pitchers, MLB introduced new restrictions on betting on individual pitches. These incidents mark the latest in a series of gambling scandals in American professional sports post the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permitted sports betting in numerous states. In a related development, over 30 individuals, including prominent figures like NBA coach Chauncey Billups and player Terry Rozier, were recently arrested in connection with a gambling investigation involving NBA athletes and organized crime groups.