Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), resigned from his position on Tuesday. According to sources who spoke to ESPN, the resignation came after an internal investigation found Clark had been having an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who was hired as an MLBPA employee in 2023. The resignation comes as Clark faces a different federal investigation from the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) for alleged improprieties, including nepotism and self-dealing, according to The New York Times.

“The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced today Tony Clark has resigned as executive director," the union said in a statement released on Tuesday. “The full executive board of Player representatives met this afternoon with MLBPA staff and outside counsel to discuss next steps; as always, the Players remain focused on their ongoing preparations for collective bargaining this year. The strength of this union is - and will always be - the solidarity of our membership. We have a long history of fighting for the rights of every Player, and we're committed to making sure we can continue that fight successfully.”

Clark and his attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The New York Times.

According to The Athletic, the union decided not to name an interim executive director following a Tuesday afternoon conference call that included player representatives from all 30 MLB teams. Another call is expected to take place later today in which the union could hold a vote to appoint a new leader.

The MLBPA launched an internal probe into Clark's conduct after the EDNY opened its federal investigation into the union's finances two years ago. During the MLBPA's inquiry, sources said that the relationship between Clark and his sister-in-law came to light and that player leaders within the union saw it as "crossing a red line," as ESPN explained.

The EDNY launched its investigation after a whistleblower complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board against Tony Clark in 2024, alleging nepotism, self-dealing, misuse of resources, and abuse of power, among other things. One of the issues raised in the complaint was the construction of a large MLBPA office building in Arizona, where Clark lives. It was also discovered that Clark’s sister-in-law had been employed by the MLBPA at that location since the building was first opened in 2023. After messages between Clark and his sister-in-law were found during the investigation, he was asked by the MLBPA to resign on Monday.

Tony Clark is a former first baseman who spent 15 years playing in the MLB from 1995 to 2009. Following the death of former MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner in November 2013, Clark was unanimously voted in as the union's next executive director one month later, a position he held until yesterday.

Clark's resignation comes at an inopportune time for the union and Major League Baseball, with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the two sides set to expire on December 1st, 2026. If the league and the union are unable to negotiate a new deal by the informal early-to-mid-March 2027 deadline, it could lead to a lockout, which would delay the start of Spring Training and maybe even result in regular-season games being cancelled next year.