Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase was taken into custody Thursday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York upon his arrival from his native Dominican Republic.
He had agreed to surrender to the FBI after being indicted for allegedly tipping off bettors about pitches he planned to throw in exchange for a kickback from their winnings.
Clase, 27, was scheduled to appear in a federal court in Brooklyn for an arraignment hearing later Thursday.
He and his Guardians’ teammate, Luis Ortiz, each face four federal charges. Ortiz, who was arrested over the weekend, appeared in court Wednesday and entered a not-guilty plea. Bond was set at $500,000.
The pitchers have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. If found guilty of all charges, they could spend a maximum of 65 years in prison.
Clase allegedly became involved in the betting scheme in 2023.
Ortiz is alleged to have joined in June 2025 and received bribes and kickbacks for throwing balls instead of strikes. Clase was the connection between Ortiz and the bettors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern Division of New York.
Ortiz allegedly was paid $5,000 to throw a ball on purpose in Cleveland’s June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners, with Clase getting the same amount for setting it up. For a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals, they each received $7,000 for a similar act, according to the indictment.
That was the final game Ortiz pitched in 2025.
Ortiz and Clase were placed on leave July 3 and July 28, respectively. On Aug. 31, Major League Baseball and its players association extended the non-disciplinary paid leave of the right-handers “until further notice” amid an ongoing sports betting investigation.
Clase was 5-3 with a 3.23 ERA and 24 saves in 48 appearances in the 2025 season. He had a career-high 47 saves in 2024.
Clase is 21-26 with 182 saves and a 1.88 ERA in 366 career games (one start) with the Texas Rangers (2019) and the Guardians.
Ortiz, 26, was 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts in the 2025 season. He was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a three-team trade that included the Toronto Blue Jays last Dec. 10.
–Field Level Media
