The executive director of Major League Baseball’s Players Association has resigned after an internal investigation revealed he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who the union hired in 2023. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Don Van Natta Jr. were first to report the news.
Tony Clark took over as MLBPA executive director in 2013 following a 15-year playing career that spanned six teams. His exit comes at a crucial time for MLB players as a federal investigation rages on and their current collective bargaining agreement expires in a year.
Clark, 53, is married to his wife, Frances, and the couple share three children. He has two brothers, Greg and Vince.
Under Clark’s guidance the MLBPA has been subject of an Eastern District of New York investigation for more than a year as officials examine Clark and the union’s alleged use of licensing money or equity to enrich themselves. MLBPA lawyers and federal officials have kept the organization’s eight-player subcommittee up-to-date on the investigation’s progress.
“This happening during the investigation is not overly surprising,” subcommittee member and New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien told ESPN on Tuesday, February 17. “But it still hurts. It’s still something I’m processing and I just want our player group to move forward this year and be able to have a good year of negotiating with leadership that cares about what players want.”
Semien, 35, added, “The timing being February, when we’re looking forward to December when the CBA expires, is better than it happening in November if something came out.”
Clark’s resignation also comes at the beginning of 2026 Spring Training, with teams set to begin their first exhibition games this week. The former first baseman was prepared to embark on a tour of Spring Training facilities, with the Cleveland Guardians up first. That trip has been canceled, The Athletic reported.
It’s also the latest bump in the road in what has been a turbulent time for the MLBPA, which began in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which also hit during Spring Training. The PA and league eventually agreed to a 60-game season and a postseason played at neutral sites.
The next year, the owners locked the players out for more than three months in the offseason while the two sides hashed out a new CBA.
“With this group of players, we’ve been through a lot,” Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ, a former MLBPA player rep, told ESPN. “We’ve seen a ton. We’ve been through a lockout, we’ve been through 2020. That kept the players very informed and very aware. Having gone through those experiences will help in this one.”
Deputy executive director Bruce Meyer, who played a major role in ending the last lockout, is a candidate to replace Clark as executive director, but that’s far from a guarantee. In 2024, players held an informal vote, ultimately asking Clark to fire him.
The players planned to meet at 4:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday to discuss the “fallout” of Clark’s resignation, according to ESPN.
“The strength of the union isn’t one person,” Cubs pitcher and former player rep Jameson Taillon said. “It’s about the players. It’s always been about that. I’m confident we’ll find someone good to lead us.”
