Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase pleaded not guilty to federal gambling charges on Thursday, a day after teammate Luis Ortiz also pleaded not guilty.
Key Takeaways
Clase was released on $600,000 bond, had to surrender his passport, and had his travel limited by a federal judge.
The Guardians’ all-time saves leader is accused of taking bribes and manipulating pitches to help two bettors in the Dominican Republic win bets. Teammate Luis Ortiz is also implicated, and both men appear in court again on Dec. 2.
Clase was arrested earlier Thursday when he arrived at JFK Airport from the Dominican Republic, the pitcher’s home country, the Associated Press reported. Clase was released on $600,000 bond after appearing in a Brooklyn federal court, and he was forced to surrender his passport.
“His actions speak louder than words,” Clase’s attorney Michael Ferrara told the judge. “He poses no risk of flight. He intends to stay through this.”
Day in court
Clase, who’s accused of taking bribes to manipulate pitches to help a group of sports bettors win prop wagers, is also restricted to travel only between Ohio and New York. He can’t be involved in any gambling and must be monitored by GPS, due to the terms of his release.
Clase didn’t speak in the courtroom, other than answering “yes” or “no” in Spanish to the judge through an interpreter, and he left without answering questions from the media, according to the AP.
The three-time All-Star allegedly began providing information on what he would throw for his first pitch to bettors in 2023. Federal prosecutors claim that Clase recruited Ortiz.
Clase and Ortiz were placed on nondisciplinary leave by MLB in July after their games were flagged for unusual betting activity. The pro baseball league announced on Monday that multiple sportsbook partners, including DraftKings and FanDuel, have complied with an MLB request to no longer offer pitch-level betting markets.
Serious accusations
Prosecutors claim the two Cleveland pitchers accepted money to tip off two Dominican Republic bettors, who made $460,000 on the speed and outcome of pitches.
Clase is accused of requesting payoffs beginning this year, and he and Ortiz allegedly supplied money to the bettors to place wagers on their rigged pitches. Clase is also accused of talking to one of the bettors by phone before making a game appearance. The bettors won an $11,000 bet that his first pitch would be below 97.5 mph just minutes later.
“Emmanuel Clase has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win,” Ferrara said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ortiz, who also pleaded not guilty, was arrested on Sunday and charged with the same numerous counts related to the gambling scheme. Ortiz was released on a $500,000 bond and given similar restrictions as Clase.
Both men are scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 2.
