Pitcher Emmanuel Clase's agent jumps out of MLB meeting to secure his $600K bond in sports betting scheme

John Annese, New York Daily News on Nov 13, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — The agent for star Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase stepped out of an MLB players union meeting to make sure his high-profile client was free on bond in his sports betting conspiracy case Thursday.

“I’m walking outside the room right now,” pro agent Kelvin Nova said over the phone during Clase’s arraignment in Brooklyn Federal Court Thursday. Nova couldn’t make the hearing in person because he was attending the general managers meetings in Vegas. “I’m walking outside right now,” the agent said. “I’m good to talk now.”

Nova called in to secure Clase’s $600,000 bond after Clase was indicted on charges he rigged multiple pitches, with a total of more than 100 bets made on them, as part of a sports betting conspiracy. The agent described himself as the owner and president of the Nova Sports Agency, and said he makes $800,000 a year, adding, “next year should be more.”

Clase, 27, who flew into John F. Kennedy Airport from the Dominican Republic Thursday morning to surrender to authorities, was indicted Sunday along with fellow Cleveland pitcher Luis Ortiz.

He’s accused of agreeing to throw balls and slower, “slider” pitches instead of strikes and “cutters” on the first pitch of certain at-bats, so that a group of sports gamblers could make bank by betting on his individual pitches on online betting platforms. Clase also brought Oritz into the conspiracy this year, the feds allege, and acted as a middleman between Ortiz and his gambling accomplices.

Clase, who needed a Spanish interpreter, was dressed in gray blazer, black T-shirt and blue jeans, with dyed blond dreadlocks and a scruffy beard and goatee. At one point, he said he didn’t understand the charges against him, before his lawyer, Michael Ferrar clarified the court procedure.

Clase pleaded not guilty to the charges against him — wire fraud conspiracy, honest-services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy.

Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo ordered Clase get an ankle monitor — even though prosecutors weren’t asking for one — pointing out the athlete’s financial resources, and how he made $4.5 million in 2025, in the fourth year of his five-year, $20 million contract.

The judge also brought up Clase’s 80-game suspension after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug he got in the Dominican Republic.

Clase also put up his home in Cleveland as collateral to secure the bond. He and Ortiz, who was released on $500,00 bond Wednesday, are due back in court Dec. 2.

The case is being heard in Brooklyn court since one of the games where Clase is accused of making one or more rigged pitches was at Citi Field against the Mets and one of the bettors worked with an accomplice who lives in the district.

Clase didn’t respond to reporters’ questions Thursday as he left the courtroom.