Just a week ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers were getting ready without much fanfare. They were fine-tuning their strategy for when trades would be allowed, and a key part of it centered around a player who had caught their attention: a top-notch reliever, with playoff know-how and impressive speed, on their pitches. The front office saw him not only as a bullpen upgrade but as a potential October difference-maker. That plan came crashing down Sunday night.
Emmanuel Clase, the Cleveland Guardians’ All-Star closer and a top target for the Dodgers and other contenders, has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by Major League Baseball. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Clase is being sidelined as part of an ongoing sports-betting investigation, a development that now removes him from the trade market entirely just days before the August 1 deadline.
BREAKING: Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of MLB’s sports-betting investigation, sources tell ESPN.
Clase is the second Guardians pitcher on leave tied to the investigation, joining right-hander Luis Ortiz.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2025
MLB confirmed that Clase’s paid leave will extend through August 31, a decision that, while not a formal suspension, effectively prevents any immediate movement. He becomes the second Guardians pitcher tied to the league’s investigation, joining right-hander Luis Ortiz, who had already been placed on similar leave earlier this month.
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