Tony Clark steps down as MLBPA chief amid looming CBA deadline
Tony Clark has resigned from his role as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, a move announced on Tuesday and coming just under ten months before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is due to expire.
Details around the resignation surfaced amid reports that Clark has been under federal scrutiny by the Eastern District of New York since last year over alleged financial improprieties. ESPN later reported that an internal MLBPA inquiry found an inappropriate relationship between Clark and his sister-in-law, who is a union employee hired in 2023.
In a statement released by the MLBPA, the organization confirmed Clark’s departure and highlighted his tenure: he joined the union as director of player relations in 2010 and became executive director in 2013, succeeding Michael Weiner. The statement also emphasized the players’ unity: the executive board and players will continue to focus on preparations for this year’s bargaining, reaffirming the union’s commitment to fighting for players’ rights.
The MLBPA had planned to begin its Spring Training tour with the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, but that meeting was canceled early in the morning. The Athletic reported Clark’s impending resignation shortly before, and the union held a leadership call later that afternoon with player representatives from all 30 clubs and the eight-member executive subcommittee.
Following the call, The Athletic noted that the union did not immediately appoint an interim leader, though a subsequent call—expected to occur on Wednesday—could include a vote to designate new leadership.
One member of the executive subcommittee, Orioles pitcher Chris Bassitt, told The Athletic that the group intends to get the decision right rather than rush to fill the void.
Clark’s resignation arrives less than ten months ahead of the December 1 expiration date for the current CBA, with MLB and the MLBPA anticipated to initiate negotiations in the coming weeks.
