Emmanuel Clase investigation throws wrench into Mariners' search for ace reliever

The Seattle Mariners have made it known that they are going to be active in the trade market for high-end relievers, but that effort just got complicated on Monday by way of news concerning Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.

As ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report, the three-time All-Star has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of an ongoing sports-betting investigation by Major League Baseball:

Luis L. Ortiz was initially placed on leave on July 3 after a betting integrity firm flagged two questionable pitches that he had made in separate appearances. Coincidentally, one of them was against the Mariners.

Emmanual Clase's leave shakes up the market for high-end relievers

Though speculation has already begun on social media, it remains unclear exactly what triggered MLB's decision with Clase. What is clear is that he'll be on leave through August 31, the same as Ortiz after the league extended his leave during the All-Star break.

With the Guardians struggling to keep up in the AL Central at 52-53, Clase had been seen as a candidate to be moved ahead of Thursday's trade deadline — he even ranked at No. 4 on The Athletic's big board as recently as last week. However, this is obviously no longer the case.

Though the Mariners were not explicitly linked to the 27-year-old flamethrower, none other than president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has confirmed that the club is going to be "aggressive" in its pursuit of ace relievers for a bullpen that has a solid 3.78 ERA, but which is short on dominant arms:

At least on paper, few targets match the description of what Dipoto is looking for as well as Clase. The righty has a 1.88 ERA in six major league seasons, and has led the American League in saves three years in a row. He's also on a club-friendly deal that runs as far as 2028 by way of club options.

There is the question of whether it would have been wise for the Mariners to risk alienating Andrés Muñoz by trading for Clase. Muñoz is an All-Star closer in his own right, and has spoken about how he's liked being used in a more inning-specific role in 2025.

Of course, this is neither here nor there now that Clase is off the table as a trade candidate. And even if the Mariners didn't have their eye on him, the downstream effect doesn't figure to be favorable for their search for bullpen help.

There's now more scarcity on the market for high-end relievers, and that will likely increase the asking prices for the trade candidates who remain available. This includes other controllable arms belonging to Minnesota Twins righties Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax and Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar.

Even if this is the case, it doesn't sound as if the Mariners are about to shift their priorities elsewhere. According to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, relief help has become an even more "urgent need" than following last week's trade for Josh Naylor with another deal for Eugenio Suárez.

With the deadline set for Thursday at 3 p.m. PT, the clock is ticking.