A seismic shift rocked the Major League Baseball Players Association on Tuesday morning when news broke that executive director Tony Clark had resigned following a reported internal investigation.
Clark had spearheaded the MLBPA since 2013. His role involved negotiating and advocating for the players through labor discussions. And perhaps the biggest contention happens to be the looming collective bargaining agreement battle this year.
The CBA will expire on Dec. 1.
MLB owners are set to push for a salary cap. The MLBPA strongly pushed back on that with Clark remaining vocal in meetings with teams and when speaking with the press.
However, things changed over the last few days. An internal investigation, according to ESPN reporting, revealed Clark had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-inlaw. There is also an open federal investigation into the MLBPA’s finances.
The MLBPA put out a statement Tuesday night. Now, the union will look for a new executive director to move forward.
On Wednesday, MLBPA representatives arrived at Kansas City Royals camp in Surprise, Arizona. There was an early meeting where players gained information about the recent proceedings.
“It was a good meeting,” said John Schreiber, who is the Royals’ player representative. “A lot of questions from guys and a lot of positive feedback. So feeling good about where we are right now. Obviously, it’s a little bit of a disappointment. A little bit of a challenge with what came out yesterday and all that stuff. But, you know, the unity and strength we have from this union from the players is what it’s about.”
MLBPA deputy executive director Bruce Meyer was in attendance. He addressed media members on a wide-range of topics after the meeting.
