Cleveland Indians Pitcher Emmanuel Clase Suspended 80 Games By MLB

Whenever the Major League Baseball season starts, the Cleveland Indians are going to be without a key member of their bullpen.

Right-hander Emmanuel Clase, who was acquired by the Indians as part of the Corey Kluber trade with Texas last December, has been suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspension does not begin until the start of the 2020 season. If the season does not cover 80 games, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are still negotiating if any carry over will apply for the 2021 season.

The Indians released the following statement about Clase’s suspension:

“We were disappointed to learn of today’s suspension of Emmanuel Clase for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its effort to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game. We have been in contact with Emmanuel, and we will welcome him back after the discipline has been served. Per the protocol outlined by Major League Baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, we will not comment further on the circumstances surrounding this announcement.”

 On December 15, 2019, the Indians traded two-time Cy Young Award winner Kluber to the Rangers for Clase and outfielder Delino DeShields. Clase was considered the key to the trade for Cleveland. The 22-year-old right-hander, whose fastball approaches 100 mph, had a record of 2-3 with a 2.31 ERA, and 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 21 relief appearances for Texas last year.

He started the season in the minor leagues, then made the jump from Class AA to the big leagues. In a combined 39 appearances with advanced Class-A Down East and Double-A Frisco, Clase was 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA, while averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

The 34-year-old Kluber won the Cy Young Award in 2014 and 2017, and he finished third in the Cy Young voting in two other years. The fiscally-conservative Indians chose to trade him, however, because of his salary, and approaching free agency. Kluber will make $17.5 million this year, in the final year of his contract. The contract contains a club option for $18 million in 2021. He could then become a free agent following the 2021 season.

Indians officials were excited by the acquisition of Clase, who figured to be an important part of the team’s bullpen in 2020, as a setup man and perhaps alternate closer. The Indians have reworked their bullpen from last year, which was overly-reliant on finesse pitchers.

The club wanted to add some power arms for the coming season, and the headliner in that category was supposed to be Clase, who conceivably could be the team’s closer of the future. Their current closer is 30-year-old left-hander Brad Hand. Hand will be paid $7.58 million in 2020, and can become a free agent after the season unless the Indians exercise a $10 million club option for 2021.

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