Update on Emmanuel Clase's case claims there were no talks about 'baseball bets'

It's taken a few months, but another update on the illegal gambling investigation that has swallowed Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz and the Cleveland Guardians has come to light.

News recently emerged that an alleged bettor tied to the federal case involving Emmanuel Clase claimed he preferred betting with Clase and said the wagers were not on baseball, but on rooster fights.

The alleged bettor claims they watched the rooster fights on social media and placed bets on which rooster would win, an operation that was run by Clase.

“In the Dominican Republic, gambling on roosters is completely legal, and Emmanuel [Clase] has a rooster fighting operation," the alleged bettor said. "While I never discussed baseball gambling with Emmanuel [Clase] in any way, I did discuss betting on rooster fighting with him."

An alleged bettor in #Guardians Emmanuel Clase’s case goes into why he preferred to bet on Clase & says they didn’t talk baseball bets, but rooster fights

“In the Dominican Republic, gambling on roosters is completely legal and Emmanuel has a rooster fighting operation.” @WEWS pic.twitter.com/jLGXO2eOh4
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) January 15, 2026

Another twist in the Emmanuel Clase saga

The alleged bettor, who has not yet been identified, also claims that he placed wagers on Clase's pitches, not with any insider information, but rather as a "big sports fan."

"Emmanuel [Clase] essentially only throws two pitches, a fastball and a slider," the alleged bettor wrote. "This made betting on him more simple and I thought I had a better chance of predicting what would happen."

The news centers primarily on Clase, though Ortiz’s name is also included because the updated information was submitted as a joint filing by attorneys for both pitchers. The new document mentions Ortiz's name twice, with the only notable remark being from the alleged bettor stating, "On one occasion, I also talked to my brother about a bet for a pitch thrown by Luis Ortiz."

Back in October 2025, both Clase and Ortiz pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery.

Then, in November 2025, the two were indicted on federal charges that include conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery, money laundering and wire fraud in a scheme to rig pitches for sports bettors.

Throughout the entire process, the former Guardians pitchers have denied any wrongdoing.

"Emmanuel Clase has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win," Clase's lawyer's initial statement read. "Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court."

Ortiz, who's lumped in a somewhat similar boat, shared a similar sentiment in his initial court appearance, saying he "has never, and would never, improperly influence a game- not for anyone and not for anything.

For quite a while, the Guardians still had Ortiz and Clase displayed in relation to the organization in some capacity. Both remained on the team's official roster for a bit of time before being removed, and outside of Progressive Field, a massive poster of Clase was hanging up until late November before being taken down.

Back on Dec. 2, 2025, information was released stating that jury selection for the trial will tentatively begin on May 4, with the trial expected to commence shortly thereafter.

While it is currently unknown whether a possible plea deal has been discussed to avoid trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Sherman has stated that both sides have been in heavy communication.