• Loading stock data...
Monday, October 27, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Emmanuel Clase Gambling Leave Not Costing Finlete Investors—Yet

Clase is one of seven players Finlete has signed for fans to invest in future earnings and is the company’s only client currently in the majors.

Emmanuel Clase
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Investors in Emmanuel Clase’s career earnings through start-up investment platform Finlete aren’t losing money over the star closer being placed on paid leave in light of a gambling investigation. 

Yet.

The Guardians pitcher, on leave amid a gambling probe, has a deal with start-up investment platform Finlete. 

Finlete is a company that allows fans to acquire a stake in a player’s potential future earnings, which it pitches as a way for fans to enjoy their success financially and personally. Finlete uses Regulation Crowdfunding for investors to receive a percentage of a player’s team-related income, which includes salaries and performance bonuses. 

The company says investors aren’t losing any money, at least for now, but that could change with Clase’s status.

Clase, a three-time All-Star, is among the pro athletes people can invest in through Finlete. The window for fans to invest in Clase’s future earnings closed July 7, after more than $315,000 was raised.

A company spokesperson told Front Office Sports in an email that investors are still able to profit off Clase’s career despite the decision to sideline him because, for the moment, he is still being paid. 

“While he’s on non-disciplinary paid leave, Clase continues to receive his MLB salary,” the Finlete spokesperson told FOS. “As long as he is being paid at the Major League level, Finlete will continue to receive its entitled percentage, and dividends will be distributed to investors as scheduled.”

Clase is the face of Finlete, which has six other baseball players on its roster. The others are all minor leaguers. After Clase, Finlete’s biggest clients are Jhostynxon Garcia and Leonardo Bernal, who are top-five prospects for the Red Sox and Cardinals, respectively, according to MLB.com

Clase is by far the biggest player for Finlete, as he led the American League in saves the past three seasons. In 2024, Clase had one of the greatest seasons in recent history for a reliever, going 4–2 with an earned run average of just 0.61 with 47 saves. Clase is making $4.9 million this season, but he signed a five-year, $20 million deal with the Guardians in 2022. The contract has a pair of $10 million team options for 2027 and 2028; Clase is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028, when the big earnings for investors could kick in.

Finlete is trying to do something few athletes have succeeded in: having fans profit off their earnings. The attempts have come over the years in a number of ways. In 2012, a company called Fantex allowed investors to trade securities tied to professional athletes and their brands. Former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Bills quarterback EJ Manuel were among the biggest names tied to Fantex. In 2014, Manuel offered a 10% share of his future earnings to investors and wound up selling 523,700 shares for $10 each. The company folded in 2016. 

In 2019, then-Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie tried to capitalize on the bitcoin craze and attempted to turn his contract into a digital investment vehicle, which the NBA said was in violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Dinwiddie planned to launch the platform in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately halted those plans. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Dodgers’ Depth, Blue Jays’ Glue Guys Are Defining the World Series

Yamamoto, Smith, and Glasnow are playing key roles for MLB’s top spenders.

Sports Equinox 2025 Shows How Fragmented Sports TV Has Become

Multiple streaming services are needed to watch Monday’s games.

Blue Jays’ World Series Run Is Just Part of Rogers’ Big Sports..

Buying more MLSE equity and a recapitalization of sports assets are planned.
Adam Silver

Congress Wants to Hear from Adam Silver on Gambling Scandal This Week

Silver said he was “deeply disturbed” by the arrests.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Mar 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The NBA logo is seen on the court before thegame between the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden.

The History of Hoops Betting Scandals

The arrests of Rozier and Billups are just the latest scandal involving basketball.
draftkings
exclusive
October 22, 2025

DraftKings Is Paying Up to $250M for Prediction-Market Railbird

The deal was announced Tuesday, but financials weren’t disclosed.
October 23, 2025

Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups Arrested in FBI Gambling Probes

The Billups arrest was tied to an illegal Mafia poker operation.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

Fans can now follow their favorite golfers and experience every marquee moment at the Ryder Cup — thanks to innovation from T-Mobile.
Sports are shown on TVs behind a bar as guests enjoy the grand opening of DraftKings Sports & Social in Ohio.
October 21, 2025

DraftKings Buys Prediction-Markets Platform but No Sports Just Yet

Front Office Sports reported DraftKings was in talks to buy Railbird in August.
Jenny Just
October 13, 2025

Austin FC Co-Owner: Teach Your Daughters to Play Poker

She calls poker a “mind sport” like chess that teaches important life skills.
Inside NCAA Headquarters located in Indianapolis on Friday, March 10, 2023. Ncaa President Charlie Baker
October 8, 2025

NCAA Approves Plan to Let D-I College Athletes Bet on Pro Sports

The proposal still needs to be approved by D-II and D-III committees.
NYSE
October 7, 2025

NYSE Owner Pours $2B Into Polymarket at $8B Valuation

Prediction markets keep pushing further into the mainstream.