Lead: Tony Clark is expected to step down as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, people briefed on the decision said on Feb. 17, 2026. The move follows a federal investigation that has drawn scrutiny from players and prompted members of the union’s eight-player executive subcommittee to engage with investigators. Clark’s departure comes days before the union’s spring training tour and as bargaining preparations accelerate ahead of a likely winter labor dispute. The MLBPA is preparing to name an interim leader while attempting to minimize disruption ahead of summer negotiating sessions.
Key Takeaways
- The resignation is linked to a federal probe opened by the Eastern District of New York in 2025 and expanded by the Department of Justice in October 2025.
- Members of the MLBPA’s eight-player executive subcommittee contacted federal officials as questions arose about licensing and equity arrangements.
- The union canceled its planned spring training visit to the Cleveland Guardians after informing the team at 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.
- Deputy director Bruce Meyer is the most likely interim leader and was already positioned as the union’s lead negotiator; Meyer was active contacting agents to confirm player support on Feb. 17.
- Players emphasized stability: Brent Suter and Jake Cronenworth described the union as “strong,” while Marcus Semien attributed Clark’s decision to the federal inquiry.
- Players Way, a for‑profit MLBPA arm founded in 2019, spent nearly $10 million despite limited events; the union previously told ESPN it had accounted for $3.9 million in related spending.
- The timing raises concern because owners are expected to consider a lockout when the current collective bargaining agreement expires, and the sport has a recent precedent of a 99‑day work stoppage after the 2021 season.
Background
Tony Clark joined the MLBPA staff after retiring from a 15‑year playing career in 2010 and rose through player relations to become deputy executive director. Following the death of former chief Michael Weiner in December 2013, Clark assumed the top job and later recruited Bruce Meyer in 2018 to assist with collective‑bargaining negotiations. Over Clark’s tenure the union has defended player pay and resisted proposals such as a hard salary cap that owners argue would rein in escalating team payrolls.
Tensions between the union and team owners have tightened since the pandemic era, when talks over the 2017–21 agreement and Covid‑era scheduling foreshadowed contentious winter bargaining. The 2021 lockout led to a 99‑day shutdown, and owners have publicly pushed for tools like a cap to address high spending by clubs including the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. Against that backdrop, governance questions about the union’s financial operations—centered on licensing, equity stakes and the operations of Players Way—have become politically sensitive inside the membership.
Main Event
People with knowledge of the decision, who were not authorized to speak publicly, told reporters on Feb. 17, 2026, that Clark is expected to resign amid growing player concern following the federal inquiry. The Eastern District of New York opened an investigation into the union and Clark last year about whether licensing money or equity structures enriched leaders, and the Department of Justice expanded that inquiry in October 2025. Clark, his attorney and the MLBPA did not immediately respond to requests for public comment when the initial report broke.
The union had planned to begin its annual spring training tour in Arizona on Tuesday, with the first scheduled stop a meeting with the Cleveland Guardians; that stop was canceled after the union informed the team at 6 a.m. local time. The MLBPA’s broader leadership council had not yet convened player representatives from all 30 clubs when news of the resignation circulated; union leaders scheduled a full meeting for 4:30 p.m. ET that day to discuss next steps.
Members of the eight‑player executive subcommittee—including Los Angeles Angels pitcher Brent Suter, New York Mets infielder Marcus Semien, San Diego Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth and Miami Marlins reliever Pete Fairbanks—have been directly involved in the conversations with federal officials and in internal deliberations. Suter said the union plans to announce an interim replacement and emphasized the priority of preparing for bargaining sessions expected to begin this summer.
Bruce Meyer, the deputy director who has been the union’s lead negotiator and who defended the union recently in high‑profile arbitration work, spent time on Feb. 17 calling agents to shore up his support. Players familiar with the negotiations noted Meyer had been responsible for significant bargaining strategy alongside Clark, and several subcommittee members expressed confidence in Meyer’s ability to lead talks despite the leadership disruption.
Analysis & Implications
The resignation of a long‑serving executive director days before the union’s spring training tour complicates the MLBPA’s immediate organizing and messaging at a pivotal moment. With collective‑bargaining negotiations expected to begin in the summer and a possible lockout looming when the current CBA expires, the union needs a steady interim structure to coordinate bargaining proposals, legal strategy and player outreach. Any perceived leadership vacuum could reduce bargaining leverage or create fractures among high‑profile players and agents.
From a legal and reputational perspective, the DOJ inquiry into potential misuse of licensing funds raises governance questions that extend beyond Tony Clark personally. The Players Way controversy—nearly $10 million in spending after the venture’s 2019 founding, contrasted with $3.9 million the union disclosed to ESPN—has fueled concerns about oversight and the union’s financial transparency. How the MLBPA reforms internal controls or discloses financial practices could influence member trust and public perception during talks with owners.
Negotiations themselves will be affected by this leadership change because the union must simultaneously litigate governance issues and prepare substantive bargaining positions on compensation, service time, revenue sharing and any owner proposals for a salary cap. Owners’ renewed calls for a cap, citing unchecked payroll growth among teams such as the Dodgers and Mets, are a core sticking point. If the union appears divided or distracted, owners may press for more concessionary terms or a more aggressive bargaining posture, increasing the likelihood of a protracted work stoppage.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Key Figure |
|---|---|
| Players Way spending reported | Close to $10,000,000 |
| Union amount disclosed to ESPN | $3,900,000 |
| Tarik Skubal arbitration award | $32,000,000 (2026 season) |
| 2021 lockout length | 99 days |
The table condenses recent figures relevant to governance and bargaining: Players Way’s near‑$10 million outlay contrasts with the $3.9 million figure the union previously communicated to ESPN, while arbitration awards like Tarik Skubal’s $32 million contract highlight the financial stakes driving owner demands. The 99‑day shutdown after the 2021 season remains the most recent benchmark for how disruptive a winter impasse can be, and players and owners will weigh that history as negotiations approach.
Reactions & Quotes
Union members and players publicly sought to limit the reverberations of Clark’s expected resignation while acknowledging the seriousness of the inquiry.
“There has been an investigation going on. We still need to discuss with players why. You definitely don’t want things to be a distraction going into December.”
Marcus Semien, Mets infielder and MLBPA executive subcommittee member
Semien staged the comment as a call for fuller discussion with the membership before drawing conclusions.
“Let me tell you, the ship is strong. We just need to make the right decisions today and moving forward, and we’ll be just fine.”
Brent Suter, Los Angeles Angels pitcher and subcommittee member
Suter framed the priority as maintaining stability ahead of bargaining and arranging an interim leadership plan.
“Dealing with this will be its own separate entity in terms of where it goes and what it does for Tony Clark… he’s been a steadfast voice that’s been fighting for players for some time now.”
Pete Fairbanks, Miami Marlins reliever and subcommittee member
Fairbanks emphasized nuance—acknowledging Clark’s contributions while noting that the investigation’s outcomes are a distinct matter.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Clark personally benefited financially from licensing or equity arrangements remains unproven in public records and is the subject of the DOJ inquiry.
- The precise scope and targets of the Department of Justice’s expanded October 2025 inquiry have not been fully disclosed by officials.
- It is not confirmed how long an interim leader will serve or whether Bruce Meyer will be formally named before the summer bargaining sessions.
Bottom Line
Tony Clark’s expected resignation is a consequential governance event for the MLBPA at a time when the union must present a united, strategically coherent front for high‑stakes bargaining. The combination of a federal inquiry into financial practices and the proximity of collective‑bargaining talks raises immediate questions about internal oversight and the union’s capacity to manage both legal exposure and negotiation strategy concurrently.
In the near term, the appointment and authority of an interim leader—most likely deputy director Bruce Meyer—will determine whether the MLBPA can preserve continuity in bargaining preparations. Over the medium term, the union’s response to the inquiry, including any transparency reforms or structural changes, will shape member trust and public credibility as negotiations with owners proceed toward a potentially contentious winter showdown.
Sources
- The Athletic (reported via The New York Times) — newspaper/aggregated news report with reporting on the resignation and investigation.