Latest news with #Clase
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'It stinks. It hurts': Who's the Cleveland Guardians closer minus Emmanuel Clase
CLEVELAND — How long Emmanuel Clase will be sidelined is dependent on the results of Major League Baseball's gambling investigation, but the Guardians know at the very least they'll have to figure out a new way to handle the ninth inning for the next month. Clase was placed on paid leave through at least Aug. 31, joining teammate Luis Ortiz as part of MLB's sports-betting investigation. It's another gut punch for a team that over the last few weeks had been making up ground in the American League wild card race. President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and manager Stephen Vogt spoke with the team before a July 28 game against the Colorado Rockies. "It stinks, it hurts," Vogt said. "It's not something we saw coming, not something that we anticipated. It's OK to be upset, it's OK to be hurting, but we're in this together, and it's just a reminder that this game is fragile, this game is special. And it was just a reminder of, we have to do this together and we're going to get through it, but it's going to be hard. "This is for all of us to deal with. I mean, every one of us has different emotions, different feelings, different thoughts towards it, but at the end of the day we have our jobs, and let's go out and compete, and my door is open all the time. … If you need to get thoughts out, you need to get emotions out, come get them out with me so that we can go out and play and be at our best." If MLB finds any wrongdoing related to gambling with Clase and/or Ortiz, the corresponding punishments could be severe. All the team knows for now is that in the short run it will be without both through at least the games on Aug. 31. Who is the Guardians closer with Emmanuel Clase out? Cade Smith can certainly be considered the favorite for save situations in Cleveland with Clase unavailable but, for the time being, Vogt said the Guardians won't officially name a closer and will instead opt to play the matchups. "You just put guys into positions to succeed like we do," Vogt said. "We always look for three- to four-batter pockets that help the guys have great matchups and to be successful. It might end up being different people in the ninth. It might play out to where it's one person, but we're going to continue to run the bullpen the way we have." Although Smith might not enter for the ninth inning in every save situation, it would be reasonable to expect him to garner the majority of chances. Entering July 28, Smith had a 3.02 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 44⅔ innings. He hasn't been quite as dominant as his stellar 2024 season, but a good deal of that damage all came in a disastrous outing against the Detroit Tigers when a 10th inning fell apart on him. Other than the one appearance, he has been among the best relievers in baseball since the beginning of 2024. It'll likely also mean additional high-leverage situations for Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin and Erik Sabrowski. With Clase out, the Guardians could at times line up matchups dependent on where they are in an opposing lineup in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. "He's one of the best closers in the world, so it's hard to replace something like that," Vogt said of Clase. "But when you have Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Erik Sabrowski, those four particularly … these guys have faced the heart of orders in big spots. The ninth inning is a different beast but, at the same time, that's why we've always pitched all our guys in leverage." This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase out. Who closes games for Cleveland?
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How does MLB's investigation into Emmanuel Clase impact Guardians' trade deadline plans?
CLEVELAND — The long-term futures of Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luis Ortiz are in the hands of Major League Baseball's gambling investigation. In the short term, the Guardians know they'll be without both through at least Aug. 31, the current end date of their nondisciplinary paid leave, which could be extended. The Guardians woke up July 28 only 3.5 games out of a American League wild card berth, the result of a recent 11-2 stretch that followed a 10-game losing skid. By the time the afternoon rolled around, they were without their three-time All-Star closer for the next month, a gut punch to not only the clubhouse but their playoff chances. The timing of Clase's sidelining has the chance to have a ripple effect considering MLB's trade deadline — 6 p.m. July 31 — is fast approaching. But will it? 2025 MLB trade deadline: Does closer Emmanuel Clase impact Guardians' plans? The Guardians' trade deadline plans were already a bit murky, and the Clase situation only added another layer to it all considering how they might respond to it. They've been hovering around .500 for the last couple of weeks. The 10-game skid threatened to catapult them into full seller's territory, but the response of winning 11 of their next 13 games, combined with the easiest remaining schedule in the AL, left the door cracked open for a possible playoff push. Three things are commonly known about how the Guardians front office normally operates: First, they make decisions with both today and tomorrow in mind as they try to regularly field a playoff contender; second, they'll always at least answer the phone when opposing teams call, not wanting to close the door on any potential paths to build the roster; and third, they can drive teams borderline insane with how disciplined they can be when sticking to their internal evaluations. So, knowing that, how does Clase's absence fit into all of it? It likely doesn't mean the Guardians will enter a fire sale and lower their own values on available players, but it might mean they receive some additional phone calls from teams wondering if Cleveland is throwing in the towel, and if any players are more available than they were a few hours prior to the Clase news. Hammy in the Hall: 'It's very surreal': Tom Hamilton to be inducted into Hall of Fame as Frick Award winner In other words, it depends more on the offers coming in than the Guardians' own stance, considering their propensity to stand their ground and not overreact to situations. Because they rarely go 100 percent in or out, and they're often balancing a number of factors for both the immediate season and the future, Clase being out for a month won't lead to a landslide, at least from Cleveland's perspective. But if other teams decide to offer enough, with the inkling that just a bit more value might do the trick, if they think (or hope) the Guardians are leaning that way? Perhaps. "It's a very active time of year anyway where we're in constant dialogue with a lot of teams, so we had a lot of dialogue up through this morning," said president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. "Certainly, I've had dialogue over the last few hours and my expectation is that it will continue over the next few days." Who could the Guardians trade at the 2025 deadline? One known element of Clase being sidelined is that he absolutely cannot be traded at this deadline, nor can Ortiz. The odds that Clase would have been moved considering his team-friendly, long-term contract were low. It likely would have taken an out-of-this-world offer to move the needle. But now that flexibility is gone regardless. It also puts an even greater premium on reliever Cade Smith. Manager Stephen Vogt noted July 28 the Guardians won't officially name a closer just yet, but it stands to reason Smith will be the favorite for saves in Cleveland. If his price tag was high already, it'd take even more to pry him from the Guardians now. All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan has been occasionally named as a possible trade target, but that's another would-need-to-be-blown-out-of-the-water situation with any potential offers. First baseman Carlos Santana is likely the most available, but the 39-year-old first baseman probably won't garner much of a return on the open market. Center fielder Lane Thomas might have been a prime trade target considering he's heading for free agency, but a nagging plantar fasciitis issue has likely taken him off the board as well, along with Clase and Ortiz. Starting pitcher Shane Bieber remains one of the most interesting trade possibilities in baseball. It would only make sense for the Guardians to move him if they received top dollar, which could be asking a lot for someone coming off Tommy John surgery. Teams acquiring him would only have his rehab assignments to work off of for evaluations. Bieber has a player option with a $4 million buyout for 2026. Generally speaking, perhaps a team could use the Ortiz and Clase situations to placate some selling at the deadline. But it might be difficult to sell that idea to a clubhouse only a few games out of a playoff spot with two months of baseball left to play. On the other hand, if they lose a series to the historically-bad Colorado Rockies, all bets might be off when it comes to selling at the deadline should the Guardians lose ground in the Wild Card race on the heels of the Clase news. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Could Emmanuel Clase's absence impact the Guardians' trade deadline?
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Emmanuel Clase Update Sends Reliever Price Soaring At Trade Deadline
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase was placed on paid leave Monday as Major League Baseball investigates sports betting by the players. This comes at the worst timing for the Guardians, as Clase was one of the most sought-after relievers on the trade market. CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 23: Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates the team's 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on July 23, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 23: Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates the team's 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on July 23, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo byClase was at the top of many teams' big boards for the trade deadline, and now that he is off the table, the competition to land the rest of the field just got tougher. The Pittsburgh Pirates have another one of the top choices in David Bednar, and the team is reportedly asking for a top five prospect in return, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That is a steep price to pay for a relief pitcher, although Bednar is under team control for next season. The St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins also carry some of the more coveted relievers this season, and they could capitalize on the Pirates' high price and the Guardians' unfortunate situation. The Cardinals hold Ryan Helsley, who is set to be a free agent this season, and is coming off a season where he led MLB in saves and won the National League Reliever of the Year Award. Helsley could have a higher markup for a deal, now that the Pirates have revealed their asking price. The Twins have been hesitant to deal Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, but with the market thinning and the perceived value of players holding less value, it could sway the Twins into making a move. This season, it was not a team's acquisition that shook up the market ahead of the deadline but rather MLB's investigation into sports betting. More MLB: Cubs, Mariners Reportedly Frontrunners For Diamondbacks Third Baseman After Yankees Trade
6 hours ago
- Sport
2nd Guardians pitcher on leave amid MLB sports gambling investigation
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase has been temporarily benched by Major League Baseball due to his alleged role in a sports gambling investigation, the team announced. The fourth-best closer in the league, with 24 saves in 48 games pitched to date this season, was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through Aug. 31, ESPN first reported Monday. Clase is the second Guardians player impacted by the betting probe, just weeks after his teammate and right-hander Luis Ortiz was placed on the same leave starting July 3. In a statement, the Guardians said "We have been informed that no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted" by the investigation. "I'm not happy. This stinks," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said in a pregame interview before the team's Monday night loss to the Colorado Rockies. "It's a different part of our game now because it's legal. Two of our guys are being investigated and it hurts. It's an unfortunate situation." Per ESPN sources, a betting integrity firm noticed unusual gambling activity on two pitches that Ortiz threw for balls. The first was an outside wild pitch to Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena on June 15, followed by another outside pitch to Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés on June 27, ESPN's sources said. The bets under investigation in the Ortiz case were placed on whether or not an individual pitch would be a ball instead of a strike, according to the sources. Ortiz's leave was extended to Aug. 31. A representative from the agency that represents Clase did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment; Ortiz's agent told ABC News they had no comment at this time. With an explosion of at-home sports betting and convenient access on mobile apps and desktop platforms, bettors playing are frequently buying into smaller prop bets. "Prop bets are more of the micro bets, versus the big macro bets on which team is going to win and by how many runs," ESPN baseball commentator Karl Ravech told "Good Morning America." "Baseball, similarly, has all sorts of situations -- and I'll be honest, in sports, there are literally hundreds of things that you could eventually gamble on," he added. Thirty-nine states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, have legalized sports betting in some form, according to a sports-focused independent media and research platform. Both online and retail sports betting are legal in DC for those over 18 years old, with sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings both operating in the district.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Guardians break silence on Emmanuel Clase suspension
How do the Cleveland Guardians rebound from the Emmanuel Clase suspension? The Guardians' all-world closer was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by Major League Baseball, and he will remain sidelined through at least August. Here is what manager Stephen Vogt had to say, via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal: 'It stinks, it hurts,' Vogt said. 'It's not something we saw coming, not something that we anticipated. It's OK to be upset, it's OK to be hurting, but we're in this together, and it's just a reminder that this game is fragile, this game is special. And it was just a reminder of, we have to do this together and we're going to get through it, but it's going to be hard.' Vogt also talked about how the Guardians will lean toward matchup-specific pitching decisions rather than trying to replace Clase with one guy. However, if there is a role worth elevating, it is setup man Cade Smith. Smith has put together another stellar campaign, going 2-4 with a 3.20 ERA, a 2.11 FIP, 65 strikeouts to 17 walks, and 3 saves over 47 outings and 45 innings. The natural progression without Clase leaves Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Jakob Janis, Erik Sabrowski, and Tim Herrin with even greater responsibility. The Clase situation also clarifies Cleveland's deadline approach. Before, it was at least worth looking at soft buys to see if this middling club can sneak into the postseason. But, at 52-54 (with the Detroit Tigers just about out of reach), stuck in the Wild Card cluster, selling feels like the better option. Maybe some team feels like taking a flier on Clase is still viable, especially if he is eligible for the postseason. But, with so much hanging in the balance, that overly risky move will probably dissuade the market.
