Disgraced All-Star relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase texted about placing bets — just not on baseball — according to one bettor involved in the alleged scheme.
Clase, who was indicted in a bombshell sports betting scheme in November alongside fellow Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz, exchanged messages about wagers tied to his legal rooster-fighting operation in the Dominican Republic, according to newly unsealed court filings reviewed by the New York Times.
In the joint filing by attorneys for the two pitchers, Clase was referred to as a “well-publicized breeder and participant in rooster fighting activities,” arguing that prosecutors misinterpreted conversations about roosters and horses as coded references to illegal activity.
The unidentified man also claimed he placed wagers on Clase’s pitches — but only as a “big sports fan” familiar with the pitcher’s arsenal tendencies, according to the filing.
The new claims stand in contrast to federal allegations that Clase and Ortiz tipped off bettors about which pitches they would throw in specific situations, allowing the group to win hundreds of thousands of dollars on prop bets.
Eastern District of New York prosecutors allege that Clase’s activity dates back to May 19, 2023, when a co-conspirator won $27,000 on a prop bet that the pitcher would throw a specific pitch over 94.95 mph.
Prop bets allow gamblers to target specific moments inside a game — down to individual pitches — making them especially vulnerable to inside information.
Over the next two years, the bettors tied to Clase pocketed over $400,000, with the right-hander allegedly funding the scheme and receiving “bribe and kickback payments.”
At one point, the alleged plan went awry when, during a May 28, 2025, game against the Dodgers, batter Andy Pages swung and missed at a pitch Clase purportedly intended to throw outside the strike zone — costing himself and the co-conspirators thousands of dollars.
“Approximately 20 minutes after Bettor-1 lost the wager on May 28, 2025, Bettor-1 sent a text message to the defendant EMMANUEL CLASE DE LA CRUZ a gif image of a man hanging himself with toilet paper,” the indictment stated. “Even though the Cleveland Guardians won the game, approximately 10 minutes later, CLASE responded to Bettor-1 with a gif image of a sad puppy dog face.”
Clase, who enjoyed a historic 2024 campaign with a 0.61 ERA and American League-best 47 saves, registered 24 saves and a 3.23 ERA last season before being placed on leave.
Ortiz, 26, allegedly joined the plot in June 2025, with bettors winning at least $60,000 in June from gambling on pitches he’d communicated, per the indictment.
His lawyer, Chris Georgalis, denied any wrongdoing in a statement, saying Ortiz “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game.”
The duo was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn.
“[T]he defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services,” Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. “They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime.”
The pitchers shared a chilly handshake during a December court appearance and were ordered to return to court Jan. 15.
Jury selection was tentatively set for May 4, with the trial expected to kick off May 11.
If convicted of all charges, the hurlers face up to 65 years in jail.
