The ongoing federal trial of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz in New York has introduced intriguing new details. On Friday, a government witness, Luis de Aza Baez, revealed an unusual aspect of the case. He admitted placing numerous bets and winning significant amounts by betting on the speed at which Clase’s pitches reached home plate during the 2023 MLB season. According to ESPN, de Aza Baez said, “because I had inside information.” Clase stands accused of rigging 18 pitches over three seasons in collaboration with bettors.
A significant moment occurred when de Aza Baez discussed seeking information about Clase’s pitches in the following season. He mentioned encountering a roadblock, comparing it to the absence of information due to circumstances involving Shohei Ohtani. In March 2024, although Ohtani faced no charges akin to Clase and Ortiz, his financial dealings came under scrutiny. Millions in transactions were traced to an unauthorized bookmaking operation, with Ippei Mizuhara, his longtime interpreter, pleading guilty to misappropriating about $17 million from Ohtani for gambling debts.
De Aza Baez, then an Uber driver, formed a group chat named “Uber Inc.” where Enoc Pena, an associate of Clase, shared betting tips in 2023. This chat was created for Uber drivers in Massachusetts. Prosecutors presented a text from Clase to Pena on September 30, 2023. It was the day the Cleveland Guardians were scheduled to play against the Detroit Tigers. They discussed betting on a pitch against the third batter if Clase secured the first two outs, but he did not participate in the game, which ended in an 8-0 win for Detroit.
Clase’s defense argued that the messages about “chickens” and “roosters” pertained to cockfighting, an activity legal in the Dominican Republic. Despite their friendship, de Aza Baez stressed that he did not receive direct pitch information from Clase, only through Pena. Videos showing them socializing, such as playing dominoes on a Boston Red Sox-themed table, were shown during the trial.
De Aza Baez acknowledged frequently winning bets when instructed by Pena. Although he shared no official profits, he often gifted winnings back to Pena. Both Clase and Ortiz, another former Guardians pitcher, have pleaded not guilty to charges related to wire and honor services fraud, sports bribery, and money laundering.
In response to de Aza Baez’s testimony, his agreement with the government included forfeiting $69,000 of his gambling proceeds for immunity from wire fraud charges. Prior to de Aza Baez’s statements, Bo Naylor, a former Guardians catcher, testified on Thursday. He recounted recognizing a particular rigged pitch—an outside slider targeted at St. Louis Cardinals’ Pedro Pages—while denying awareness of bets on specific pitches.
Naylor also acknowledged Clase’s repeated phone use in the locker room, a point noted by prosecutors investigating rule violations linked to gambler communications during games. According to allegations, bets on Clase’s pitches earned approximately $400,000 in winnings between 2023 and 2025. Ortiz became involved in the conspiracy by June 2025.
Despite these accusations, Clase was one of baseball’s premier closers, achieving a 1.21 ERA in 2024 and ranking third in AL Cy Young voting. However, by 2025, his ERA increased to 3.80, coinciding with the investigation.