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MLBPA executive director Tony Clark reportedly resigns amid multiple scandals

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Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark reportedly resigned Tuesday amid multiple 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 being investigated regarding the use of licensing money.

In addition to the federal probe, an internal investigation by the union revealed that 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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Tony Clark speaks to media

Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark talks to the media prior to Game 1 of the 2023 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Arlington, Texas, on Oct. 27, 2023. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Bruce Meyer, the union’s deputy executive director, has been named by several players as the logical candidate to replace Clark, according to ESPN’s report.

Fox News Digital reached out to the MLBPA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Eastern District of New York’s investigation is into 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 looks on

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 supposed to embark on their annual tour of spring training camps on Tuesday, beginning with the Cleveland Guardians, according to The Athletic. However, in the wake of the report, the meeting was canceled.

Clark’s expected resignation occurs just months away from CBA negotiations between the MLB and MLBPA.

The owners are widely expected to lock out the players at the beginning of the offseason and push hard for the implementation of a salary cap. If the owners do indeed go forth with a lockout, it would be the second consecutive time the owners have locked out the players at the expiration of the CBA.

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Tony Clark looks on

Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark talks 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, making fans wonder if a lockout would threaten the entire 2027 season.

Historically, the MLBPA has been staunchly opposed to a salary cap. 

In 1994, the union’s refusal to budge on the implementation of a cap caused the World Series to be canceled that season, as the players went on strike midseason.

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