Cleveland Guardians star pitcher Emmanuel Clase appeared in federal court Thursday afternoon to plead not guilty to charges stemming from an alleged sports betting scheme.
Fresh off a trip from the Dominican Republic, Clase was arrested by the FBI at 7 a.m. ET upon arrival at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, hours before his U.S. district court appearance in Brooklyn.
Clase, 27, a closer and three-time All-Star, is accused alongside teammate Luis Ortiz of taking several thousand dollars in bribes to help bettors in the Dominican Republic. Those sports gamblers won $460,000 in prop bets placed on the speed and outcome of pitches Clase and Ortiz threw for the Guardians, including some that landed in the dirt, prosecutors say.
The two Dominican Republic natives have been on nondisciplinary paid leave from Major League Baseball since July.
Clase wore a dark sport coat over a black shirt and ripped jeans and appeared to be uncomfortable throughout the proceeding.
A judge ordered that Clase must post $600,000 bond secured by his Cleveland-area home. His agent, Kelvin Nova, called into the courtroom from Las Vegas, where he is attending the MLB owners meeting.
Clase was ordered to surrender his passport and be fitted for a GPS ankle bracelet. As a condition of his release, he cannot speak to any victims, witnesses, co-defendants or co-conspirators, and must not participate in gambling of any sort.
Clase’s attorney, Michael Ferrara, attempted to convince the judge not to impose location monitoring, saying Clase traveled to New York voluntarily that morning. Ferrara added that Clase could have stayed in the Dominican Republic and gone through extradition proceedings, but Judge Joseph Marutollo was not moved.
Marutollo said he had serious concerns that Clase was a flight risk because of his ample means and $20 million contract with the Guardians.
A Dec. 2 status hearing was scheduled in the case.
According to a complaint unsealed on Sunday, Clase was involved in the scheme from May 2023 until about June 2025. Clase allegedly violated MLB rules to use his cellphone during games in order to speak to the bettors.
He also coordinated with them to send money to the Dominican Republic, instructing them to make it appear as if it were “someone else,” the complaint said.
Prosecutors said he brought Ortiz into the scheme in June, just weeks before MLB placed them both on leave as part of its own investigation.
According to news reports in the Dominican Republic, Clase told Luis Hernandez, a friend who is a local reporter, that the phone calls he made were about fighting roosters and not related to baseball. Clase reportedly suggested that the calls may have been misinterpreted by investigators as being related to sports betting.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement on Sunday that Ortiz and Clase “betrayed America’s pastime.”
“When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us,” Nocella said.
The two men are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy.
Ortiz also entered a not-guilty plea to the charges on Wednesday. A judge ordered his release on $500,000 bail with added conditions that include GPS monitoring, surrendering his passport and limiting his travel to New York, Massachusetts and Ohio.
He’s also prohibited from gambling, possessing firearms or illegal drugs, and making contact with his alleged co-conspirators.
Clase signed a five-year, $20 million contract with the Guardians in 2022. He was on the fourth year of the deal, which included a clause for pay increases in 2027 and 2028 based on performance.
Ortiz reportedly earned a $782,600 salary this year after being traded to the Guardians from the Pittsburgh Pirates in December.
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