Tony Clark is stepping down as the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, a person familiar with the union’s internal discussions confirmed on Tuesday.
The decision, initially reported by ESPN, was expected to be formally announced later the same day.
Clark’s departure comes amidst a federal investigation by the US Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, into One Team Partners, a licensing company co-founded by the MLB Players Association and the NFL Players Association.
The move also precedes crucial collective bargaining negotiations, set to commence in April, for a new labor agreement. The current five-year contract is due to expire on 1 December.
Management is anticipated to propose a salary cap, a contentious issue that could potentially trigger a work stoppage, leading to the cancellation of regular-season games for the first time since 1985.
In an immediate consequence of the development, the union cancelled Tuesday’s scheduled start of its staff’s annual tour of the 30 spring training camps.
Clark, 53, a former All-Star first baseman, made history as the first former player to lead the union.
He last played in 2008 and joined the union staff following Michael Weiner’s brain tumor diagnosis.
He assumed leadership after Weiner’s death in late 2013, guiding players through significant negotiations that resulted in agreements in 2016 and 2022, the latter following a 99-day lockout.
Bruce Meyer, who served as the lead negotiator under Clark during the 2021-22 period, was promoted to deputy executive director in the summer of 2022 and is expected to lead future negotiations.
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