Tony Clark resigns as MLB players union leader after inappropriate relationship with sister-in-law discovered, source says

Tony Clark attends Game 1 of the 2023 World Series.(Stacy Revere/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Tony Clark resigned abruptly this week as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association after allegations of personal misconduct came to light.

After an outside firm was retained in response to federal investigations, Clark was discovered to have had an inappropriate with a subordinate who is also his sister-in-law, sources confirmed to CNN Sports.

The players union put out a statement Tuesday night announcing Clark’s departure and reaffirming that “the strength of this union is – and will always be – the solidarity of our membership.”

The statement did not offer an explanation for the sudden departure of Clark, who led the union in the last two cycles of collective bargaining. Clark was expected to lead the players in another contentious negotiation with the owners following the 2026 season, but he was also the subject of multiple ongoing federal investigations.

ESPN first reported Tuesday that Clark’s resignation was prompted due to an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who was hired as a union employee in 2023.

The timing of the resignation shocked players and union staff. Clark was scheduled to start his annual tour of spring training camps on Tuesday. More critically, the current CBA is set tio expire on Dec. 1 of this year, at which point it seems likely that the owners will lock out the players.

Rhetoric ahead of CBA negotiations is often heightened and heated, but owners have been building a case in the court of public opinion that a salary cap is necessary for competitive balance amid growing disparities in team spending. For players, a salary cap has long been a non-starter and the issue could lead to a protracted work stoppage.

Clark, 53, is a former player who ascended to the union’s executive director role in 2013 following the death of Michael Weiner. But more recently, Clark’s tenure has been marred by dissent and distractions.

There was an attempt to oust lead negotiator Bruce Meyer in 2024. Clark stood by Meyer, and the players who had fomented the failed coup were later voted off the executive subcommittee.

In 2025, it was revealed that Clark and the MLBPA were subjects of a federal investigation regarding revenue from licencing agreements. At the time, Clark and the MLBPA hired separate lawyers, according to reports.

Later, ESPN reported that Clark was also the subject of an investigation into a youth baseball initiative by the MLBPA that appeared to be enriching executives.