Witness says Clase pitch betting tips stopped after Mizuhara scandal
A government witness testified that he received fewer inside bets on Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase in 2024 due to increased scrutiny following the Shohei Ohtani interpreter case.
By Jonathan Reed ·
Luis de Aza Baez testified Friday in the federal trial of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. He stated that the inside information he used to wager on Clase pitches in 2023 largely disappeared in 2024. The witness attributed the drop in tips to heightened scrutiny following the gambling scandal involving former Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
De Aza Baez, a former Uber driver, told prosecutors he placed dozens of bets on the velocity of specific Clase pitches during the 2023 season. He reported winning thousands of dollars on these wagers because he possessed "inside information." Clase faces charges of conspiring with bettors to rig 18 pitches over three seasons.
The witness explained that when he requested additional information about Clase pitches in 2024, he was informed that the data flow had ceased. He cited the situation surrounding Ohtani as the reason, noting that there was no more information available like the previous year. Ohtani faced scrutiny in March 2024 after reports of millions of dollars moving from his bank account to an illegal bookmaking operation. His interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $17 million to cover gambling debts and is currently incarcerated. Ohtani was cleared of wrongdoing.
Prosecutors presented a text message screenshot from September 30, 2023, sent by Clase to Enoc Pena, a Clase associate. The message referenced "killing the first two chickens" ahead of a game against the Detroit Tigers. De Aza Baez interpreted this as instructions to bet on a Clase pitch to the third batter of an inning, provided Clase retired the first two batters. Clase did not appear in that game. The defense argues that references to roosters and chickens often referred to cockfighting, a legal activity in the Dominican Republic.
De Aza Baez met Clase during a birthday party on April 28, 2023, in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Prosecutors showed video of the gathering where Clase played dominoes on a table with a Boston Red Sox logo. The Guardians were in town for a series against the Red Sox at the time. De Aza Baez said he received pitch information only from Pena, who initiated the tips through a group chat titled "Uber Inc." that included other men from the case.
The witness acknowledged that he had no formal agreement with Pena but gave him money because he "almost always" won using the provided information. De Aza Baez admitted to opening a DraftKings account under his wife's name to increase his wagering limits. He also included Clase pitch bets in parlays to maximize potential payouts.
In a plea deal, De Aza Baez agreed to forfeit $69,000 from his winning bets. He agreed to tell the truth in exchange for prosecutors dropping a wire fraud charge related to the case. He also befriended co-defendants Robinson Vásquez Germosen and Luis Arismendy Paca Méndez while they lived in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Clase, Ortiz, and Vásquez have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges involving wire and honest services fraud, sports bribery, and money laundering. Paca Méndez, who also pleaded not guilty, is not participating in the trial after being extradited from the Dominican Republic on October 19.
Todd Spodek, attorney for Vásquez, stated after the hearing that the defense remains unchanged from opening arguments. He described the case as one about big talk and small bets. The trial is scheduled to continue next Thursday in Brooklyn.
