Emmanuel Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of an MLB betting investigation.
MLB's Emmanuel Clase Announcement Just Upended the Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Several MLB contenders are pining to trade for a high-leverage reliever by Thursday's trade deadline, including the Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Brewers, and Dodgers.
Players expected to be on the list of relievers traded include the Pirates' David Bednar, Cardinals' Ryan Helsley, Twins' Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran, and Guardians' Emmanuel Clase.
Clase, who pitched to a sterling 0.61 ERA and locked down 47 saves in 2024, has pitched to a more human 3.23 ERA and converted 24 of 29 save opportunities in 2025.
Despite rumors of Clase's availability, it looks like he isn't going anywhere after a major MLB announcement involving him.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Monday that Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through August 31 as part of MLB's sports betting investigation, joining teammate Luis L. Ortiz as Cleveland players tied to the investigation.
Ortiz was named as a player of concern after the first pitch he threw to catcher Pedro Pages in the third inning of his June 27th start against the Cardinals was his eighth furthest from the center of the plate this season, per to The Athletic's Eno Sarris.
It was reported last Friday that Ortiz's leave of absence was extended through August, which mirrors the timetable for Clase's absence.
As for now, the Guardians will almost certainly not be fielding any more calls on Clase, and closers like Bednar and Helsley will now carry a premium cost with Clase off the market.
Fans reasoned on X (formerly Twitter) that Clase's performance this season had been suspicious, especially after Clase gave up eight runs in eight innings of work last October.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
