A government witness in the federal trial of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz testified that inside information about Clase’s pitches dried up in 2024, directly linking it to the public scandal surrounding star player Shohei Ohtani, noticias.foxnews.com reported.
Luis de Aza Baez, a key witness for the prosecution, admitted during testimony in New York on Friday that he placed dozens of bets and won thousands in 2023 based on inside information about the speed of Clase’s pitches. He told the court he acted “because I had inside information,” according to ESPN, which was cited by both outlets covering the trial. However, when he sought similar information for the 2024 season, de Aza Baez testified that the flow of tips stopped. “What was going on with [Shohei] Ohtani, there was no more information like that,” he said, creating a direct connection between the two gambling-related cases.
Ohtani Scandal as a Turning Point
The Ohtani reference pointed to a major event in sports gambling. In March 2024, Ohtani was not facing criminal charges like Clase and Ortiz, but he faced intense public scrutiny. The situation involved millions of dollars sent from his bank account to an illegal bookmaking operation. His former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts. reported that Mizuhara is currently serving prison time, while Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter. The high-profile nature of the Ohtani case appears to have disrupted the alleged betting network that had previously provided de Aza Baez with his information.
The “Uber Inc.” Chat and the Code of the “Chickens”
De Aza Baez’s testimony painted a picture of a small, informal network for sharing betting tips. He was working as an Uber driver in 2023 and participated in a group chat called “Uber Inc.” According to his testimony, Enoc Pena, an associate of Clase, started the chat with other Uber drivers in the Massachusetts area and used it to send tips. detailed how prosecutors presented a text message screenshot from Sept. 30, 2023, as evidence. In the message, Clase allegedly wrote to Pena about “killing the first two chickens,” which prosecutors claimed was code language. They interpreted it as an instruction to bet on a specific pitch against the third batter, provided Clase entered the game and secured the first two outs. The Cleveland Guardians did not play that day, as the game against the Detroit Tigers was called off due to rain.
Clase’s defense team disputed this interpretation, arguing the conversation was misconstrued. They contended that references to “roosters and chickens” in Pena’s chats often related to cockfighting, a legal activity in his native Dominican Republic.
A Network of Friends and Bets
Despite the alleged scheme, de Aza Baez portrayed his relationship with Clase as friendly. He testified that he and Clase became friends and were even seen in a video playing dominoes at a relative’s house on a Boston Red Sox-logoed table. However, he maintained that he never received direct inside information about pitches from Clase himself. All tips, he said, came from Pena. De Aza Baez claimed he “almost always” won when Pena provided a tip. He stated that while there was no formal arrangement for sharing winnings, he would give Pena some money after a successful bet. In exchange for his testimony, de Aza Baez agreed to forfeit $69,000 he won on bets involving Clase, a deal that dropped a wire fraud charge against him.
Catcher Testifies and Phone Use Revealed
Before de Aza Baez took the stand, former Guardians catcher Bo Naylor testified on Thursday. Naylor was behind the plate for many of the allegedly rigged pitches by both Clase and Ortiz. reported that Naylor was shown a video of an alleged rigged pitch in the courtroom and identified it as a slider to St. Louis Cardinals hitter Pedro Pages, which he described as a weakness for the batter. Naylor also testified that he was unaware that bettors could place wagers on specific pitches, a detail that suggests he may not have been aware of the full scope of the alleged scheme.
A government witness testified Friday in the federal trial of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz that the inside information he used to bet regularly on Clase pitches in 2023 dried up the next season due to increased scrutiny from the gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani’s… pic.twitter.com/PaOLcwD6zM
During cross-examination, attorneys elicited from Naylor that he had frequently seen Clase using his cellular phone in the locker room.
The Defense Stance and Alleged Scale of the Scheme
Clase and Ortiz have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy of wire and honor services fraud, sports bribery, and money laundering. Their legal team has consistently maintained a defense of “big talk and small bets.” After Friday’s hearing, Vásquez’s attorney, Todd Spodek, told ESPN, “Our defense is the same today as it was in opening: This is a case about big talk and small bets.”
Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025.
The Pitcher’s Performance Before and During Investigation
Before the investigation became public, Clase was one of baseball’s most dominant closers. In 2024, he posted a 1.21 ERA and finished third in the American League Cy Young voting. However, by the time the federal probe began in 2025, his performance had declined significantly, with his ERA ballooning to 3.80.
What’s Next in the Trial
The trial of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz continues in New York. With testimony from key witnesses like de Aza Baez and Naylor now complete, the prosecution is expected to present more evidence.
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