SANTO DOMINGO. – What began as a review of statistical irregularities in Major League Baseball has turned into a high-profile judicial process involving the star Dominican closer
Emmanuel Clase, a figure for the
Cleveland Guardians.
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A 29-page federal indictment, filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and unsealed this Friday, alleges that the pitcher used coded language related to "cockfights" to coordinate the manipulation of pitches for sports betting purposes.
According to the record, on May 18, 2025, hours before a game against the
Cincinnati Reds, Clase received a message that said: “Throw a stone at the first rooster in today's fight”. For the prosecutors, that phrase constituted a direct instruction to alter a specific pitch. The player responded affirmatively and added that he would make the delivery “low”, according to court documents.
Encrypted language and alleged coordination
Authorities maintain that the references to roosters were not accidental, but rather part of a code linked to the player's well-known fondness for raising these birds in the Dominican Republic. In another exchange of messages, dated September 2023, the pitcher allegedly indicated to a bettor how to proceed regarding certain batters, which for the prosecution evidences an intention to manipulate specific situations within the game.
Although in some cases he did not enter the field, the investigators cite those messages as proof of prior planning.
Postseason Notes
One of the most sensitive aspects of the new document is the inclusion of alleged events that occurred during the 2024 playoffs. In particular, a pitch in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the
Detroit Tigers, played on October 5 of that year, is mentioned.
With this expansion, the number of pitches under scrutiny increased from nine to fifteen between 2023 and 2025. Authorities estimate that those involved would have obtained profits close to 450 thousand dollars, allegedly distributed in the form of bribes or commissions.
New person involved and split among the accused
The case also involves Robinson Vásquez Germosen, identified as a supposed intermediary between the pitchers and bettors in the Dominican Republic. According to the accusation, he would have attended meetings in Cleveland using tickets provided by Clase himself.
In parallel, the defense of Dominican pitcher
Luis Ortiz requested to separate his judicial process, alleging that he was induced into the scheme without full knowledge of its scope.
Defense and Legal Overview
Michael Ferrara, Class's lawyer, stated that his client is innocent and questioned the interpretation of the evidence presented by the prosecution. Likewise, the defense of the alleged intermediary described the accusations as unproven allegations.
The trial was scheduled for May 4th in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the case has the Major League Baseball world on edge, where Clase was considered one of the most dominant relievers, after recording an ERA of 0.61 in 2024.
In addition to facing possible sports sanctions, the closer could face federal charges for wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to influence sports competitions through bribery, in a process that threatens to mark one of the most delicate chapters in the recent history of MLB.
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