Tony Clark Resigns as MLB Players Association Head Amid Federal Probe and Labor Uncertainty

TAMPA, Fla. (Journos News) – The head of the Major League Baseball Players Association stepped down Tuesday at a pivotal moment for baseball’s labor landscape, with collective bargaining negotiations approaching and a federal investigation underway into a business venture tied to the union.

Tony Clark’s resignation introduces fresh uncertainty for players and owners as they prepare for talks on a new labor contract set to begin in April. The current five-year agreement expires on Dec. 1, and management is widely expected to pursue a salary cap proposal — a move long opposed by players and historically one of the sport’s most contentious issues.

The union confirmed Clark’s departure in a brief statement following a meeting of its executive board in Tampa, Florida. “The full executive board of player representatives met this afternoon with MLBPA staff and outside counsel to discuss next steps,” the union said. It added that players remain focused on preparations for collective bargaining this year.

Internal Investigation and Leadership Shift

Clark, 53, was asked to resign by the union’s eight-member executive subcommittee after an investigation by outside counsel found evidence of an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee hired in 2023, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

His exit also comes amid a separate federal probe led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York, into OneTeam Partners — a licensing company founded in 2019 by the MLBPA, the NFL Players Association and RedBird Capital Partners.

While Clark’s resignation is tied to the internal investigation, the broader scrutiny of OneTeam has added to the pressure facing union leadership. OneTeam has since expanded to include licensing partnerships with players’ associations in the WNBA, MLS, NWSL and the U.S. women’s national soccer team.

Marcus Semien of the New York Mets, a member of the executive subcommittee, acknowledged the strain of the moment. “A lot of people have known that the investigation has been going on,” he said. “I think that this happening during the investigation is not like, as a subcommittee, is not like overly surprising, but it still hurts and it’s still something I’m processing.”

The executive board — which includes player representatives from all 30 MLB teams — did not select a successor during Tuesday’s meeting.

Bruce Meyer to Lead Negotiations

Deputy executive director Bruce Meyer is expected to serve as the union’s lead negotiator in the upcoming talks, as he did during the 2021–22 bargaining cycle.

Meyer joined the MLBPA in 2018 after decades in private legal practice and prior experience with the NHL Players’ Association. He played a central role in the negotiations that ended the 99-day lockout in March 2022, the second-longest work stoppage in MLB history.

Semien said he continues to have confidence in Meyer’s negotiating leadership. “Up to this point, before any investigations, I’ve had the ultimate confidence in Tony Clark to lead this player group,” he said. “I’ve had the ultimate confidence in Bruce Meyer to be the lead negotiator for this player group.”

Labor talks are expected to begin in April, well ahead of the December expiration of the current agreement. Management’s anticipated push for a salary cap could set the stage for another high-stakes standoff. Baseball has not operated under a formal salary cap, instead relying on a competitive balance tax system. The last time regular-season games were lost due to a labor dispute was 1995.

Clark’s Tenure and Union Legacy

Clark was the first former player to serve as executive director of the MLBPA, a union historically led by seasoned labor attorneys. A former All-Star first baseman who played from 1995 to 2009, he rose through union leadership after attending his first executive board meeting in 1999.

He was hired as director of player relations in 2010 and became deputy executive director in 2013 as then-union head Michael Weiner battled a brain tumor. Following Weiner’s death later that year, Clark was elevated to executive director, succeeding a line of influential leaders including Marvin Miller, Kenneth Moffett and Donald Fehr.

During his tenure, Clark guided players through two major labor agreements. In 2016, a deal was reached just hours before the previous contract expired. In 2022, he oversaw negotiations that concluded after a prolonged lockout imposed by owners.

His leadership, however, was not without internal friction. In early 2024, several members of the executive subcommittee pushed unsuccessfully for Meyer’s removal as part of a broader debate over bargaining strategy. The subcommittee had voted unanimously against approving the 2022 labor contract, though the full player representative body ultimately ratified it by a 26–12 margin.

A Pivotal Moment for Baseball Labor

Clark’s resignation comes at a sensitive juncture for the sport. With collective bargaining approaching and federal authorities examining aspects of the union’s affiliated business ventures, the MLBPA faces both internal transition and external scrutiny.

For players, the immediate focus remains on the coming negotiations — particularly any proposal involving a salary cap, long considered a red line in baseball’s labor history.

Whether the leadership change alters the tone or trajectory of those talks remains to be seen. For now, the union has signaled continuity in its bargaining team while confronting one of its most significant leadership shifts in more than a decade.