Cleveland Browns All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase led Major League Baseball with 47 saves during the 2024 season, earning his second AL Reliever of the Year Award. New documents in the federal gambling investigation allege he rigged pitches in more games than initially suspected.
According to documents obtained by ESPN, the Guardians reliever's attorney and alleged co-conspirator Luis Ortiz has accused Klaas of “manipulating his performance” in 48 games.
The 27-year-old Ortiz was placed on MLB's non-disciplinary paid leave list as part of an ongoing investigation into gambling-related activities. At the time, The Athletic reported that the Guardians' reliever was flagged for throwing a greater amount than usual on two specific pitches. The first occurrence occurred on June 15 in the second inning against the Seattle Mariners, and the second was on the first pitch in the third inning of a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. In both cases, the pitches were well outside the strike zone. On July 18, MLB extended Ortiz's paid leave through August 31.
The 27-year-old's lawyer, Christos N. Georgallis is seeking to separate Ortiz's case from the federal case against Klaas. That's because, according to the filing, Clase and Ortiz have “markedly different levels of culpability,” and the attorney believes a fair trial would not be possible otherwise.
- Emmanuel Contract Class (Spotrac): $4.9 million salary (2025), $6.4 million salary (2026), $10 million club option (2027-'28)
Klaas is accused of conspiring with bookmakers on the 2023-25 MLB season. The allegations reveal that the All-Star corrected some of his pitches in a quarter of his games over a three-year period.
“[Clase] At least 250 pitches have been identified on which bets were placed, so the Court encouraged the government to disclose the findings [Clase] Any additional pitch is alleged to have been included in the conspiracy.
Court proceedings over Emmanuel Klaas' alleged involvement in rigging pitches over three MLB seasons
Clase and Ortiz have been accused by prosecutors of taking thousands of dollars in bribes to help two gamblers in the Dominican Republic win more than $450,000 on prop bets regarding the speed and outcome of pitches thrown by two relievers.
While MLB players are allowed to bet on sports other than baseball, Rule 21(a) in the MLB rule book states that any player or person associated with the club who “fails to make his best effort to win any baseball game with which he is or may be in any way connected” will be permanently disqualified. If MLB's investigation finds that a pitcher intentionally threw a pitch to influence a prop bet, it would be a direct violation of Rule 21.
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