Witness says Clase pitch tips stopped after Ohtani gambling probe
A government witness testified that inside information on Emmanuel Clase's pitches dried up in 2024 following the financial scrutiny of Shohei Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
By Harper Collins ·
Federal prosecutors are building a case that betting rings relied on private knowledge to predict specific pitches by Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. The testimony provided on Friday suggests that this flow of information halted when public attention turned to Major League Baseball's largest gambling scandal.
Luis de Aza Baez, a former Uber driver, told the court that he placed dozens of bets on the velocity of Clase's throws during the 2023 season. He won thousands of dollars on these wagers, stating he did so "because I had inside information." The government accuses Clase of conspiring with bettors to manipulate 18 pitches over three seasons. De Aza Baez said he asked for more tips in 2024 but was told the data was gone due to "what was going on with Ohtani." There was no more information like that.
The reference points to the scrutiny that began in March 2024. At that time, reports revealed that millions of dollars moved from the bank account of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to an illegal bookmaking operation. His interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, later pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts. Mizuhara is currently in prison. Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter.
De Aza Baez testified that he received pitch tips from Enoc Pena, an associate of Clase. The information often arrived via a group chat named "Uber Inc." that Pena started. The chat included other men involved in the case who also drove for the ride-share company in Massachusetts. Prosecutors displayed a text message Clase allegedly sent to Pena on September 30, 2023. The message referenced "killing the first two chickens" during a game against the Detroit Tigers. De Aza Baez interpreted this as an instruction to bet on a pitch to the third batter only if the first two were retired. Clase did not appear in that game.
Defense attorneys have argued that references to roosters and chickens refer to cockfighting, a legal activity in the Dominican Republic. This is the home country of Clase and other defendants. De Aza Baez said he met Clase on April 28, 2023, at a birthday party in Winthrop, Massachusetts. The gathering took place while the Guardians were in town for a series against the Boston Red Sox. Prosecutors showed video of the event where Clase played dominoes at a table with a Red Sox logo.
De Aza Baez stated he never received information directly from Clase. He only received tips from Pena. He said he gave Pena money because the bettor "almost always" won using the data. The witness admitted to opening a DraftKings account under his wife's name to increase his wagering limits. He also combined Clase pitch bets into parlays to maximize payouts.
In a deal with the government, De Aza Baez agreed to forfeit $69,000 from his winning bets. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a wire fraud charge. He pledged to "tell the truth" during his testimony. Clase, Luis Ortiz, and Robinson Vásquez Germosen have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges of wire and honest services fraud, sports bribery, and money laundering.
Todd Spodek, the attorney for Vásquez, spoke to reporters after the hearing. He said the defense maintains that the case involves "big talk and small bets." He expressed confidence that the jury would make the final judgment. Co-defendant Luis Arismendy Paca Méndez is not participating in the trial. He pleaded not guilty and was extradited from the Dominican Republic to the United States on October 19.
The trial is scheduled to resume next Thursday in Brooklyn.
