BALTIMORE — The news that closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of MLB’s sports betting investigation into the Cleveland Guardians highlights some major questions for a sport with significant ties to the gambling industry.
Addressing the ethical fallout here will take time, of course, but the news also has a more immediate impact on the trade market with just three days remaining before Thursday’s trade deadline. Executives had been wondering whether Cleveland would part with the 27-year-old, and some predicted it would happen as long as a buyer met what was believed to be an exceptionally high asking price by the Guardians.
Now, it seems clear Clase will stay in the Guardians’ organization for the remainder of the 2025 season. What’s less clear is where the investigation leads, and what this news means for the pitching trade market, the biggest focus for the Toronto Blue Jays this week as they look to build on their recent success and augment their team for the stretch run.
From the outside looking in, it would appear that the Pirates (David Bednar, Dennis Santana), Twins (Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Danny Coulombe) Cardinals (Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton) and Orioles (Seranthony Dominguez, Andrew Kittredge) will gain some leverage with their own relievers, now that one of the top arms is unavailable.
While that’s true to an extent, the relief market includes a wide range of players and a long list of buyers, so adding or subtracting a single player has only so much impact. To use the Twins as an example, the price on Duran would have been astronomical even if Clase was still available, and removing him from the market doesn’t suddenly mean Coulombe, a rental, will bring back a four-prospect return.
-
-
MLB on Sportsnet
Watch the Toronto Blue Jays, Blue Jays Central pre-game, marquee MLB matchups, Jays in 30, original documentaries, the wild card, divisional series, championship series and entire World Series on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Either way, it’s interesting to observe that the relief market hasn’t really moved much yet. Although five position players have been traded, only two relievers have moved, with the Orioles dealing away Bryan Baker and Gregory Soto, and the rest of the league staying quiet.
In Cleveland, no additional players or team personnel are expected to be impacted, according to a statement from the Guardians, who could still be active at the deadline even after the Clase news. Some executives doubt they’ll move Steven Kwan, but they still have lots of pitching, including Erik Sabrowski, a Canadian left-hander who has a 1.74 ERA since returning from the injured list, and Cade Smith, another Canadian who may take over Clase’s job as closer.
Executives involved in the relief chase believe the market is starting slowly because of high asking prices — and the same can be said of the starting pitching market, another area where the Blue Jays continue to do their diligence, according to sources. While the Blue Jays are staying open to many possibilities, including everyday position players and bench bats, they’re believed to be highly motivated on the pitching front, with relief pitching perhaps the clearest pathway to improving the roster.
Eventually, the logjam will break and the relief market will start to move, but for now some say sellers are holding firm on their asking prices in the hopes that a win-now GM will jump and overpay for bullpen help. The Padres gave up four prospects for Tanner Scott last year, plus three more for Jason Adam. If you’re a seller, that kind of prospect return can be meaningful for years to come.
But at a certain point, sellers will try to get what they can and relief prices should normalize again, allowing patient buyers to do their shopping. Based on the prices paid last year for the likes of A.J. Puk, Carlos Estévez, Nate Pearson and Andrew Chafin, two solid but not transformational prospects are typically enough to get a setup-calibre reliever. That’s seemingly a reasonable price for the Blue Jays to pay, if it means augmenting their bullpen for October.
Based on the history of GM Ross Atkins in Toronto, it would be a surprise if the Blue Jays don’t add relief help this week. And based on the timing of those historical trades, this is typically when talks get real — with or without Clase atop the market.
