A superseding indictment accuses Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase of trying to throw rigged pitches in at least 15 games, with new allegations now coming to light.

CLEVELAND — Newly unsealed court documents further detail pitch-rigging allegations against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, with prosecutors claiming the scope of the three-time All-Star’s purported illegal gambling activity was larger that previously thought.

U.S. attorneys for the Eastern District of New York now say Clase conspired with bettors on at least 15 occasions between 2023 and 2025 to throw rigged pitches that would win money from so-called “microbets,” with such pitches often being thrown outside the strike zone or below a certain velocity threshold. Prosecutors allege Clase managed to actually throw these manipulated pitches during 12 separate games and tried to do so three other times but was not brought in to pitch.

The original indictment against Clase previously accused the two-time AL Reliever of the Year of nine instances of pitch-rigging. Fellow Cleveland pitcher Luis Ortiz is also charged with throwing fixed pitches outside the strike zone during at least two contests during the 2025 regular season, allegations that remain unchanged in a superseding indictment filed Thursday.

That new indictment, unsealed Friday, also names one of the alleged bettors for the first time as a co-defendant: Robinson Vasquez Germosen, a citizen of the Dominican Republic whom authorities describe as “an associate” of Clase. Prosecutors say Vasquez lived in both New York City and Massachusetts between 2024 and 2025, and during that time, Clase is said to have set aside baseball tickets for Vasquez on roughly 28 occasions.

A Dec. 10, 2025, criminal complaint first outlined Vasquez’s alleged role in the scheme before a grand jury indicted him this week along with Clase and Ortiz. In that complaint from months ago, which was recently unsealed, officials put forth two separate instances during the 2024 season where they believe Vasquez and Clase teamed up to illegally win money on pitches — including during the Guardians‘ run through that year’s playoffs.

According to the complaint, the rigged postseason pitch occurred during Game 1 of the AL Division Series between Cleveland and the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Clase entered the game in the top of the ninth inning with the Guardians ahead 7-0, and in a sworn statement, a special agent with the FBI claimed two unnamed bettors won approximately $4,000 by correctly wagering that Clase would throw a pitch outside the strike zone and slower than 99.45 mph that afternoon. Per the complaint, Vasquez attended Game 1 as a guest of Clase, and one of those bettors sent around $1,400 to Vasquez via Zelle after winning the online wager.

“Based on my training, experience, and knowledge of this investigation, I believe that these funds were VASQUEZ’s proceeds of the fraudulent pitch rigging scheme,” the FBI agent wrote.

Fresh off delivering perhaps the best regular season by a Cleveland reliever in franchise history in 2024, Clase was notably shaky during the playoffs, going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA and a blown save across seven appearances. Ironically, however, he looked sharp in Game 1 of the ALDS on Oct. 5, retiring all three batters he faced to preserve a 7-0 Guardians victory.

It should also be noted that the allegations surrounding the 2024 postseason do not appear in the new indictment, meaning neither Clase nor Vasquez officially face charges of wrongdoing related to that year’s ALDS at this time. Instead, prosecutors formally claim Clase either threw or intended to manipulate pitches on the following occasions:

May 19, 2023 at New York MetsJune 3, 2023 at Minnesota TwinsJune 4, 2023 at Minnesota Twins (new allegation)June 7, 2023 vs. Boston Red SoxJune 9, 2023 vs. Houston Astros (new allegation)June 10, 2023 vs. Houston Astros (new allegation, did not enter game)June 15, 2023 at San Diego Padres (new allegation)Sept. 30, 2023 at Detroit Tigers (new allegation, did not enter game)April 12, 2025 vs. Kansas City RoyalsApril 26, 2025 vs. Boston Red SoxMay 11, 2025 vs. Philadelphia PhilliesMay 13, 2025 vs. Milwaukee BrewersMay 17, 2025 at Cincinnati RedsMay 18, 2025 at Cincinnati Reds (new allegation, did not enter game)May 28, 2025 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The indictment also described the coded language they believe Clase and Vasquez used to discuss the scheme over text messages, often using words like “rooster” and “chicken.” For example, before the May 18, 2025, game in Cincinnati, prosecutors say Vasquez sent a text to Clase that read, “throw a rock at the first rooster in today’s fight” — meaning he was asking Clase to throw a ball to the first batter he faced. Clase is said to have responded, “Yes, of course, that’s an easy toss to that rooster,” before later adding “yes, low.” Clase did not end up appearing in that game, which the Guardians lost 3-1.

Clase’s defense team has attempted to frame those messages as involving actual cockfighting, according to previous reporting from 3News media partner Cleveland.com. In the December complaint against Vasquez, the FBI agent confirmed Clase “gambled on rooster fights, which is legal and popular in the Dominican Republic” and also made “legitimate references to roosters” in other texts.

“However, based on my familiarity with the investigation, including my review of several electronic devices seized pursuant to judicially-authorized warrants, I have determined that this particular exchange refers to a fixed pitch based on the context of the exchange and my review of Clase’s messages with Bettor-1 around this time,” the agent added.

Friday’s unsealing of documents comes as attorneys for Ortiz attempt to sever his own case from Clase’s. In filings from last week, Ortiz’s legal team noted how Clase’s alleged crimes date back years while Ortiz is only accused of joining the scheme in its latter stages while throwing rigged pitches in just two games.

“Put another way, this defense would amount to an acceptance by Mr. Ortiz of the strength of the Government’s case against Mr. Clase, while explaining the evidence in a way that proves his own innocence, and would cast Mr. Ortiz as a victim of Mr. Clase’s scheme, rather than a knowing and willing participant,” the motion read.

Ortiz was first placed on MLB’s Restricted List last June as the league began its investigation into the allegations, and Clase joined him roughly a month later. Both were originally indicted and arrested in November and have since pleaded not guilty, but with the superseding indictment now coming into play, both they and Vasquez are now scheduled to be arraigned again on Wednesday in New York. The latest developments would also likely push back a proposed May trial date.

Guardians pitchers and catchers reported to spring training in Goodyear, Arizona, earlier this week. Ortiz officially remains unsigned for 2026, but Clase is currently due to make $6.4 million in what is the final guaranteed year of his contract. Club president Chris Antonetti has previously stated the team is still working to determine if it will be on the hook for that money, since Clase has not been formally suspended.

Charges against Clase and Ortiz include wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. Vasquez is also charged with wire fraud conspiracy as well as with making false statements to the FBI.

You can read the entire indictment below: