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Major League Baseball Players Association CEO Tony Clark reportedly resigned Tuesday amid several scandals.
Reports said Tuesday morning that Clark was expected to resign as he and the union are under federal investigation by the Eastern District of New York for alleged financial improprieties. The 53-year-old was investigated regarding the use of license money.
In addition to the federal investigation, an internal investigation by the union revealed he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, according to ESPN’s report Tuesday afternoon. Clark’s sister-in-law was hired by the union in 2023.
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Major League Baseball Players Association Director Tony Clark speaks to the media prior to Game 1 of the 2023 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Arlington, Texas, on October 27, 2023. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Bruce Meyer, the union’s executive vice president, has been named by several players as the logical candidate to replace Clark, according to ESPN’s report.
Pakinomist Digital reached out to the MLBPA for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
The Eastern District of New York’s investigation involves the use of OneTeam Partners, a multibillion-dollar group licensing company that is part-owned by the union. It is also owned by Players Way and the company has spent millions but has not had many events.
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Tony Clark walks the black carpet at The Players Party 2025 hosted by MLBPA, Fanatics, Topps, & Lids at Flourish in Atlanta, Georgia on July 14, 2025. (Derek White/Getty Images for MLBPA, Fanatics, Topps & Lids)
Clark and the MLBPA were set to begin their annual tour of spring training camps on Tuesday, starting with the Cleveland Guardians, according to The Athletic. In the wake of the report, however, the meeting was cancelled.
Clark’s expected resignation comes just months away from CBA negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA.
The owners are widely expected to lock out players at the start of the offseason and push hard for the implementation of a salary cap. If the owners do indeed go ahead with a lockout, it would be the second time in a row that the owners have locked out players at the end of the CBA.
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Major League Baseball Players Association CEO Tony Clark speaks to reporters at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida on March 5, 2025. (Evan Petzold/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
In 2021, the sport was shut down for 99 days. Over the past four seasons, as spending by teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets has reached extraordinary levels, there has been a fervent push for a salary cap to be implemented, leading fans to wonder if a lockout would threaten the entire 2027 season.
Historically, the MLBPA has strongly opposed a salary cap.
In 1994, the union’s refusal to waive the implementation of a cap caused the World Series to be canceled that season when the players went on strike mid-season.
