Overview
- A bettor identified in court filings as Bettor-1 swore that messages with Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase concerned legal rooster fighting in the Dominican Republic, not baseball gambling.
- Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz were indicted in November on wire fraud, honest services fraud, bribery-related conspiracy, and money laundering charges, and both have pleaded not guilty.
- Prosecutors allege a scheme to profit from pitch-level bets dating to 2023, claim bettors made roughly $400,000 to $450,000, and cite specific episodes including a foiled May 28, 2025 pitch followed by pointed GIF messages.
- Defense filings argue prosecutors are misreading references to roosters and horses as code and seek fuller access to Spanish-language communications they say could be exculpatory.
- A trial is scheduled for May in Brooklyn federal court, and MLB and major sportsbooks previously imposed a $200 nationwide limit on pitch-level micro-bets in response to integrity concerns.