A unique justification has emerged for suspicious text messages involving MLB All-Star pitcher Emmanuel Clase that were discovered during an illegal sports betting investigation.
In a court filing in the case, obtained by the New York Times, a man who bet on Clase's pitches claims he only exchanged messages with the Cleveland Guardians pitcher about cockfighting.
Key Takeaways
- Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz were indicted for charges related to an alleged illegal gambling scheme.
- Clase reportedly owned a rooster fighting ring in the Dominican Republic.
- Prosecutors believe messages about roosters and horses were encoded descriptions of how to bet on rigged events in the MLB.
According to the authorities, Clase, a three-time All-Star from 2022-24, would alert bettors to ways they could profit off his performance. That illegal approach led to bettors profiting by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A new court filing made public on Friday disputed that claim. One of the bettors who profited off of Clase claimed that he and the Guardians’ ace merely discussed cockfighting, not baseball.
In the indictment, prosecutors asserted that messages about roosters and horses between Clase and the bettor were encoded discussions of plans to illegally gamble on Clase’s performances.
Clase ran a well-known rooster fighting ring in the Dominican Republic, whose laws allow for the operation. Attorneys for Clase and Luis Ortiz, also of the Guardians, wrote that both were “horse enthusiasts.”
The unnamed bettor detailed how their messages were tied to those fights, not baseball.
The explanation was part of a joint filing submitted by attorneys for Clase and Luis Ortiz, both of whom were indicted in November on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery.
Both men pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
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Disputes over text messages
Notably, the anonymous bettor and alleged co-conspirator did not deny gambling on games and events involving Clase.
A “big sports fan,” the bettor instead said they recognized their friend’s tendencies on the mound. They pointed out that Clase only threw two pitches, a cutter and a slider.
Prosecutors allege that bettors began orchestrating “fixed” betting opportunities with Clase going back to May 2023. They also said that Ortiz entered the picture in 2025, and that bettors made about $450,000 from the coordination.
In one instance, prosecutors claim that a message sent on April 12, 2025, helped bettors win $15,000 by betting on a particular pitch to be thrown less than 98.5 miles per hour.
However, the bettor claimed that the money they won, which was sent to the Dominican Republic, was designated for people who ran Clase’s cockfighting ring.
That defense is likely the one that will be used at the trial for both men, which is set to begin in May.
MLB cleans up micro-betting
As details about the case continue to come to light, the world of professional sports is already in the process of closing up loose ends.
In November 2025, leading U.S. sportsbooks implemented a nationwide $200 betting limit on micro bets for individual pitches and reworked their catalogs to prevent these bets from being combined into parlays.
"I commend the industry for working with us to take action on a national solution to address the risks posed by these pitch-level markets, which are particularly vulnerable to integrity concerns," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said, while crediting Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for helping him through the process.
