Cleveland Guardians’ standout pitcher Emmanuel Clase was apprehended at John F. Kennedy Airport on Thursday for allegedly accepting bribes to manipulate his pitches in favor of gamblers. The 27-year-old was arrested upon his arrival from the Dominican Republic, as confirmed by the U.S. attorney’s office.
Emmanuel Clase, a three-time all-star and two-time American League reliever of the year, is scheduled for arraignment at a Brooklyn federal court later today. His teammate, Luis Ortiz, who was also implicated in the purported scheme, pleaded not guilty the day before.
Both pitchers have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July when Major League Baseball (MLB) initiated an investigation into unusually high betting activity during their games. Prosecutors allege that Clase and Ortiz accepted substantial bribes to assist unidentified gamblers in their home country in winning over $460,000 on wagers involving the speed and outcomes of their pitches.
It is claimed that Clase, currently in the fourth year of a $20 million contract, began sharing pitch information with the bettors in 2023, only requesting payoffs earlier this year. Prosecutors assert that Clase frequently executed predetermined pitches, ensuring they were called as balls rather than strikes by deliberately throwing them off-target at the beginning of an at-bat.
During an April game against the Boston Red Sox, Clase reportedly communicated with a bettor just before pitching. Subsequently, the bettor and associates allegedly won $11,000 by correctly predicting the speed of Clase’s pitch.
Prosecutors allege that Clase recruited Ortiz into the scheme, occasionally providing funds to support the bets. Clase’s lawyer, Michael Ferrara, maintains his client’s innocence, emphasizing Clase’s dedication to baseball and team success. Similarly, Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, refutes the charges, stating that payments between Ortiz and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for legitimate purposes.
Clase and Ortiz face 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. MLB has since imposed new restrictions on betting on individual pitches following the indictment of the two pitchers.
These developments mark the latest in a series of gambling scandals in American professional sports since the legalization of sports betting in most states following a significant 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. In a related incident, over 30 individuals, including prominent NBA figures such as Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, were detained in a recent gambling investigation involving leaked insider information and manipulated poker games associated with Mafia groups.
