Tony Clark resigns as head of MLB players’ union as potential cap fight looms

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tony Clark has resigned as head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the union announced Tuesday, as a potential salary cap fight looms amid a federal investigation into its finances.

“The full executive board of player representatives met this afternoon with MLBPA staff and outside counsel to discuss next steps,” the union said in a statement. “As always, the players remain focused on their ongoing preparations for collective bargaining this year.”

Clark was asked to resign by the players’ association’s eight-man executive subcommittee after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel found evidence that Clark had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it was not disclosed.

Clark did not respond to a text message seeking comment.

His departure took place during an investigation by the US attorney in Brooklyn, New York, in OneTeam Partners, a licensing company founded in 2019 by the union, the NFL Players Association and RedBird Capital Partners.

“A lot of people knew that the investigation was going on,” said the New York Mets’ Marcus Semien, a member of the subcommittee. “I think it’s not like it’s happening during the investigation, as a subcommittee it’s not like it’s too surprising, but it still hurts and it’s still something I’m processing.”

The union’s executive board, which includes the subcommittee and the player representatives from the 30 teams, made no decisions about a successor during Tuesday’s meeting, the person told the AP.

Deputy Executive Director Bruce Meyer will be the primary negotiator in the upcoming labor talks, as he was in 2021-22. After Clark and Rick Shapiro led the 2016 negotiations, Meyer was appointed senior director of collective bargaining and law in August 2018 and was Promoted to his current role in July 2022.

Semien said he believed Clark was leaving to handle the investigation.

“I think so,” he said, “because up until this point, before any investigations, I had the ultimate confidence in Tony Clark to lead this player group. I had the ultimate confidence in Bruce Meyer to be the chief negotiator for this player group.”

The decision was made ahead of an expected start of collective bargaining in April for an agreement to replace the five years. employment contract expiring 1 December. Management appears to be on track to propose a salary cap, which could potentially lead to a work stoppage that causes regular season games to be canceled for the first time since 1995.

Adam L. Braverman, a former U.S. associate deputy attorney general and U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, was hired by the union’s executive subcommittee as outside counsel, two people familiar with the group’s actions told the AP. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the union had not announced it.

The union on Monday canceled Tuesday’s scheduled start of the staff’s annual tour of 30 spring training camps, which would have started with the Cleveland Guardians in the morning and the Chicago White Sox in the afternoon.

Clark, 53, is a former All-Star first baseman who became the first player to lead the union.

He played from 1995-2009 and became a union leader shortly after going to his first executive board meeting in 1999.

Clark was appointed as the union’s director of player relations in 2010 and was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2013when union chief Michael Weiner’s health declined due to a brain tumor. Weiner died that November and Clark was promoted to executive directorfollowing Marvin Miller, Kenneth Moffett, Donald Fehr and Wiener as union chief.

Clark guided players through negotiations that led to a agreement in December 2016about 3 1/2 hours before the previous transaction was due to expire, and another in March 2022 after a 99 day lockout.

Meyer, 64, spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal.

Three members of the subcommittee, Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito and Ian Happ, were among the players who advocated for Meyer’s ouster in March 2024 in an effort led by former union attorney Harry Marino. Clark supported Meyer, the attempt failed and These three players were dropped from the subcommittee that december

The subcommittee voted 8-0 against approving the 2022 labor contract and Meyer advocated pressuring management for an agreement more favorable to the union. Team player representatives, the overall group that oversees negotiations, voted 26-4 in favor, leaving the overall ballot at 26-12 for ratification.

In addition to Semien, the current subcommittee includes Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Brent Suter.

OneTeam says that since its founding it has included the players’ associations of the WNBA, MLS, NWSL and the US Women’s Soccer National Team, among others. RedBird sold its stake in 2019 to HPS Investment Partners, Atlantic Park Strategic Capital Fund and Morgan Stanley Tactical Value.

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