Tony Clark resigns as Executive Director of the MLB Players Association

Tony Clark officially resigned today as Executive Director of the MLB Players Association, with fewer than ten months left until the current labor agreement ends.

According to reports, Clark has been under federal investigation in the Eastern District of New York since last year over suspected financial improprieties. Additionally, a recent ESPN report revealed that an internal MLBPA inquiry found inappropriate relations between Clark and his sister-in-law, who became a union employee in 2023.

The MLB Players Association issued the following statement:

“The Major League Baseball Players Association announced today that Tony Clark has resigned from his position as Executive Director. Clark joined the MLBPA in 2010 as Director of Player Relations and succeeded Michael Weiner as Executive Director in 2013, becoming the first former player to hold the position.

The full Executive Board, composed of player representatives, met this afternoon with MLBPA staff and outside legal counsel to discuss next steps. As always, the players remain focused on preparing for this year’s labor negotiations. The strength of our union has always been in the solidarity of its members. We have a long history of fighting for every player’s rights and are committed to ensuring that this struggle continues successfully.”

The MLBPA had planned to begin its annual spring training tour today starting with the Cleveland Guardians, but the meeting was canceled early this morning. Hours later, The Athletic broke the news of Clark’s impending resignation, and later in the afternoon, the union held a conference call with player leadership.

According to The Athletic, no interim leader was appointed following the afternoon conference call. The meeting included player representatives from all 30 teams along with the eight-member executive committee. A second call may take place the next day, during which the union could vote to appoint new leadership.

“I think we’ve made mistakes in the past by rushing decisions,” said Chris Bassitt, a member of the executive committee and pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, speaking to The Athletic. “The executive committee and all representatives agree that we need to get this right. We can’t just rush because there’s a vacancy.”

Clark’s resignation comes with less than ten months remaining before the December 1 expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are expected to begin labor negotiations in the coming weeks.