One day afterTony Clark's surprise resignation amid a reported inappropriate relationshipwith his sister-in-law, the Major League Baseball Players Associationelected Bruce Meyer as its interim executive director, the union announced Wednesday.
The vote was reportedly unanimous for Meyer, who was previously serving as deputy executive director. Matt Nussbaum, the union's general counsel, was promoted to interim deputy executive director.
Meyer was the natural choice, as Clark's No. 2 and the union's lead negotiator with MLB.He spoke earlier Wednesday about the importance of the union remaining united in the wake of Clark's ouster.
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According to ESPN's Passan, Clark resigned on the heels ofan internal investigation that revealed an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who worked for the union beginning in 2023. The union held an emergency meeting Tuesday afternoon but did not vote on an executive director until Wednesday.
The news comes less than 10 months before the current CBA is set to expire on Dec. 1. The union and MLB owners are expected to engage in a furious labor battle ahead of a new CBA, which many expect could lead to a lockout extending into the 2027 MLB season. There is speculation that the owners will push hard for a salary cap, something the players have opposed for years.
Meyer joined the MLBPA in 2018 and played a central role in the previous CBA negotiation as well as the 2020 agreement to play baseball amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This election confirms he'll be at the table for the upcoming negotiation.
Clark also played a role in helping negotiate previous CBAs for the players. He reportedly took an active part in negotiations as a player before being hired by the MLBPA in 2010. He was initially a director of player relations before he was hired as the union's executive director in 2013. He oversaw negotiations ahead of the 2016 CBA and the contentious 2022 lockout, which resulted in Opening Day being postponed by a week as negotiations extended into March.
