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Emmanuel Clase, a baseball star and pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, has pleaded not guilty to participating in an illegal betting scheme and has been released on bail. Clase has been accused of rigging prop bets, throwing bad pitches into the dirt.
Prop bets, or proposition bets, are often found in sportsbook apps like DraftKings. Rather than betting on an entire game before it starts, prop bets allow bettors to gamble mid-game on a variety of different aspects.
However, due to the on-the-fly nature of prop bets, they have a history of causing headaches for sports franchises and leagues. Last month, NBA players Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones were all arrested for a similar scheme.
One alleged instance of Clase’s involvement in the scheme was at a Guardians-Red Sox game. According to the indictment, Clase had invited a bettor to the game. During the game, he took a call and sent a text message. That bettor then won $11,000 on a throw being less than 98 miles per hour.
Clase’s pitch-rigging and general gambling schemes have been traced back to 2023, according to the Department of Justice. The pitcher has been tied to gamblers winning around $700,000. Another Guardians pitcher, Luis Leandro Ortiz, is also said to be involved in the scheme.
On July 3, Ortiz was put on paid non-disciplinary leave by the MLB. He has also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Emmanuel Clase released on $600,000 bail
BROOKLYN — Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase is silent leaving federal court.
He pleaded not guilty to pitch-rigging and was released on $600,000 bond.
A judge ordered GPS monitoring, finding Clase’s wealth and ties to the Dominican Republic pose risks of flight. pic.twitter.com/QH72XQ6JVd
— Erik Uebelacker (@Uebey) November 13, 2025
As of yesterday, Clase has been released on a $600,000 bond, which was facilitated by the pitcher’s agent, Kelvin Nova. Clase had traveled from the Dominican Republic to JFK Airport, where he was apprehended by the FBI after voluntarily surrendering.
In court, Clase’s defence attorney, Michael Ferrara, said: “Mr. Clase voluntarily traveled here from the Dominican Republic this morning.
“His actions speak louder than any words in court.”
Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo has ordered Clase to stay grounded and his location tracked in Ohio. He can also not gamble while on bail. He also pointed out that he has “serious concerns of risk of flight”, as Clase is on a five-year, $20 million contract and has already been paid $4.5 million. Commenting on this, Marutollo said: “Mr. Clase has ample means to finance flight.”
Clase and Ortiz are expected in Brooklyn federal court on December 2. If found guilty, they both face 65 years for fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to influence sports betting via bribery, and money laundering.
Featured image: Erik Drost via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
