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OAKLAND PARK, Fla. (Gambling911.com) - Testimony from former Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, along with new reporting about DraftKings betting records and the government's evidence, took center stage Thursday in the trial against former MLB players Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.
Both men are accused of deliberately manipulating individual pitches during Cleveland Guardians games so that gamblers could win hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on the outcome of those pitches.
Naylor testified Thursday that he did not know gamblers could wager on whether an individual pitch would be a ball or strike until the criminal investigation became public.
Naylor testified that:
- Clase had reasonably good command of his pitches.
- Catchers and pitchers develop strategies based on opposing hitters' weaknesses.
- Pitchers can reject a catcher's suggested pitch.
- He was not particularly close friends with Clase or Ortiz.
- He had frequently seen Clase using his cellphone in the clubhouse.
While prosecutors testified that Clase would occasionally communicate with gamblers during games, Naylor's testimony that he observed cell phone usage does not necessarily establish this.
One of the key claims from prosecutors in this case is that Clase intentionally threw a first-pitch ball to Matt Vierling during Game 1 of the 2024 American League Division Series against Detroit.
The pitch was reportedly a 93-mph slider that bounced past catcher Naylor. But Naylor testified that nothing about the pitches he reviewed struck him as unusual while the defense maintained that pitches outside the strike zone can be legitimate baseball strategy or execution errors.
DraftKings reportedly traced some 161 bets back to Clase's residence.
Betting activity associated with a residence does not, by itself, establish who placed the wagers or whether Clase knowingly participated.
Cooperating witness and gambler Edward Canario, testifying through an interpreter, claimed to have bet on Clase's pitches.
- Received information from co-defendant Luis Arismendy Paca Mendez.
- Used that information to bet on Clase pitches in May and June 2023.
- Split winnings with Paca Mendez but personally absorbed losses.
- Placed individual bets exceeding $600, including wagers on pitch velocity and whether a pitch would be a ball or hit a batter.
The defense is likely to challenge Canario's credibility.
Enoc Pena, described by defense attorneys as a central figure in the alleged betting operation, remains a major issue.
Pena allegedly placed more than 7,000 wagers totaling at least $725,000 but the defense has tried to paint Pena as being dishonest. Prosecutors have indicated they may not call Pena as a witness though that has yet to be confirmed.
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