Guardians closer Clase arrested at N.Y. airport in connection with alleged gambling scheme

Cleveland Guardians star pitcher Emmanuel Clase was arrested Thursday at John F. Kennedy Airport on charges accusing him of taking bribes to help gamblers win bets on his pitches.

Clase, 27, was taken into custody after arriving on a morning flight from his native Dominican Republic, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

The three-time all-star and two-time American League reliever of the year is expected to appear in Brooklyn federal court later Thursday for his arraignment.

His Guardians teammate Luis Ortiz, who was also implicated in the alleged scheme, pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

The two pitchers have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB began investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched.

According to prosecutors, the two accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help two unnamed gamblers in their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 US on bets placed on the speed and outcome of their pitches.

They allege Clase, who is on the fourth season of a five-year, $20 million contract, began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023, but didn't ask for payoffs until earlier this year.

Prosecutors say Clase often threw the rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat, making sure to throw the ball in the dirt and well outside the strike zone in order to assure the umpire called it a ball rather than a strike.

During an April game against the Boston Red Sox, Clase even spoke to one of the betters by phone just before taking the mound, prosecutors contend. Minutes later, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 miles per hour.

Prosecutors say Clase