That's so vicious! 100 miles fastball for a few bucks purposely slow ML top finish horrible manipulation
Nov 10, 2025
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ESPN reported on the 10th (Korea time) that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emanuel Clase and Luis Otis were charged with fraud, conspiracy, and bribery for pitch manipulation that allowed gamblers to benefit thousands of dollars.
According to the indictment against them released by U.S. federal prosecutors, Clase and Otis were found to have intentionally manipulated the game by receiving money from sports gamblers by slowing down their pitches or throwing balls out of the strike zone.
Otis was arrested in Boston earlier in the day and is scheduled to appear in court on the 11th, but Clase has not yet been arrested.
Last month, NBA Miami Heat Terry Rozier and coaches were indicted on charges of game manipulation, and this time Major League players are brought to the court on the same charges.
ESPN reported that `the two players could face 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit pitch manipulation, 20 years for conspiracy to commit service fraud, 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering, and five years for conspiracy to distort sporting events for bribery.' In other words, if all are found guilty, the player's life is not a problem.
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Clase has been involved in rigging the game since May 2023, while Otis has been involved since June. Gamblers made at least $450,000 in profits by betting on the pitching speed and strike-ball results of the two pitchers.
In the case of Clase, he even conspired with gamblers and manipulated the pitch speed. In a game against the New York Mets on May 20, 2023, he threw a ball faster than 94.95 miles to earn $27,000, and a few weeks later, he dropped a slider slower than 94.95 miles in front of his home plate to earn $38,000 in unfair profit.
Clase has a maximum of 102 to 103 miles and an average of 98 to 99 miles of cutters as its main weapon, and it is a two-pitch style finish that mixes sliders. He teased baseball and fans with a 100-mile fastball that ordinary pitchers envy. This is why it is criticized for being more malicious than other issues.
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In response, Otis' defense attorney Chris Jogally told ESPN, `Otis has never manipulated the game, and he will never do so. Clase's defense attorney, Michael J. Ferrara, also claimed in court that the charges were unfounded. "Clase has been devoted to baseball and has been all out for the team's victory. He has nothing to do with all the charges and can be exonerated in court" he said.
MLB has contacted federal investigative agencies directly in the early stages of its investigation into this matter and is actively cooperating with the investigation. We are aware of the indictment and arrest, and MLB's own investigation is ongoing"
Clase, who is from the Dominican Republic, is the best finish in the Major League. He made his big league debut in 2019 and took charge of finishing the team from 2021, and won the AL save title for the third consecutive year from 2022-2024. In particular, he pitched 74 ⅓ innings in 74 games last year, losing 4-2 with 47 saves and an ERA of 0.61, ranking third in the Cy Young Award voting.
He was 5-3 with 24 saves and a 3.23 ERA in 48 games before being placed on the restricted list on July 29. Clase signed a five-year, $20 million extension in April 2022 to receive an annual salary of $4.5 million this year and was supposed to receive $6 million next year. And there is a club option of $10 million in 2027 and $10 million in 2028, and if disciplinary action is confirmed, even this will not be possible. After 2028, he completely signed the contract and lost the opportunity to sit on the cushion of at least $100 million if he becomes an FA.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
