Disgraced All-Star relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase texted about placing bets \u2014 just not on baseball \u2014 according to one bettor involved in the alleged scheme.<\/p>\n
Clase, who was indicted in a bombshell sports betting scheme<\/a> 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the joint filing by attorneys for the two pitchers, Clase was referred to as a \u201cwell-publicized breeder and participant in rooster fighting activities,\u201d arguing that prosecutors misinterpreted conversations about roosters and horses as coded references to illegal activity.<\/p>\n Emmanuel Clase is seen leaving Brooklyn Federal Court in early December. Gregory P. Mango<\/p>\n The unidentified man also claimed he placed wagers on Clase\u2019s pitches \u2014 but only as a \u201cbig sports fan\u201d familiar with the pitcher\u2019s arsenal tendencies, according to the filing.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Eastern District of New York\u00a0prosecutors allege that Clase\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Prop bets allow gamblers to target specific moments inside a game \u2014 down to individual pitches \u2014 making them especially vulnerable to inside information.<\/p>\n A three-time All-Star, Emmanuel Clase was placed on administrative leave in late July in the wake of the betting allegations. AP<\/p>\n Over the next two years, the bettors tied to Clase pocketed over $400,000, with the right-hander allegedly funding the scheme and receiving \u201cbribe and kickback payments.\u201d<\/p>\n At one point, the alleged plan went awry<\/a> 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 \u2014 costing himself and the co-conspirators thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n \u201cApproximately 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,\u201d the indictment stated. \u201cEven 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Ortiz, 26, allegedly joined the plot in June 2025, with bettors winning at least $60,000 in June from gambling on pitches he\u2019d communicated, per the indictment.<\/p>\n