Tony Clark resigning as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association was shocking, stunning and sent shockwaves throughout baseball on Tuesday morning. The common texts heard from agents ranged anywhere from “WTF” to “Omg” to “Wow.”
Clark, 53, resigned after an internal investigation revealed that he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who had been hired by the union in 2023, according to ESPN. He had also been under investigation since the summer of 2025, with the Eastern District of New York is looking into the finances and “other dealings” of the MLBPA, including concerns regarding the use of OneTeam Partners and Players Way, as first reported by ESPN.
Who will replace former MLBPA executive director Tony Clark?
It leaves the union without a leader heading into a year where the Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire.
On Tuesday, players expressed confidence and strength despite Clark’s abrupt resignation. Angels left-hander Brent Suter told The Athletic that the union has an interim director in mind and that, “We’re going to have an interim [director] and keep everything as stable as we can this year.”
The most logical replacement is Bruce Meyer, a longtime labor lawyer who has extensive experience in the NHL, NFL and NBA as a chief negotiator. He served as a key member at the negotiating table when MLB locked out its players in 2021 and in the early days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meyer is a self-proclaimed advocate for the PA. He will not back down easily.
"I'm a litigator and a trial lawyer who has been fortunate to do sports law for 32 years. I'd say I'm known as a tough litigator who also knows how to make deals when necessary. In the sports area I've been involved in just about every type of issue, including labor, antitrust, licensing, collective bargaining and others. But the common thread is I have a passion for player advocacy and defending player rights," Meyer said in a Q&A on the MLBPA website.
Bruce Meyer has earned MLB players' trust
Of anyone internally, Meyer arguably has the most trust with the players.
“Bruce has been our lead negotiator, and he’s done it in the past,” Tigers ace Tarik Skubal told reporters. “Although Tony has been the face of the PA, in terms of negotiating, I’m still as confident as ever in Bruce and everyone else that we got behind him.”
Skubal, who is on the MLBPA's executive subcommittee, would know a thing or two about the elephant in the room, and that is where the players go from here.
Suter and other players are aware that Clark’s abrupt resignation and the seeming cracks in the Union's armor will be used against them during the bargaining process. It’s why they have prioritized the togetherness and strength in their public messages in the wake of Tuesday’s bombshell news.
“The ship is strong,” Suter told reporters. “Let me tell you, the ship is strong.”