Investors in Emmanuel Clase’s career earnings through startup 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 startup 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 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 of 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 Front Office Sports. “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 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, which 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.
