Bruce Meyer was promoted to interim executive director of the baseball players’ association on Wednesday, a day after Tony Clark’s forced resignation. It was a move for continuity ahead of the likely start in April of what figures to be contentious collective bargaining with team owners.
Clark is a former All-Star first baseman who had headed the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) since 2013. He resigned on Tuesday, just months ahead of the expected start of bargaining for a new labor contract. The current deal expires on 1 December.
The MLBPA asked Clark to resign after an investigation by outside counsel discovered evidence he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who has been a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced. The relationship was uncovered when the union responded to a federal investigation into its finances and governance by hiring an independent lawyer. The lawyer discovered Clark’s relationship with his sister-in-law.
“The information that really led to this came out within the last … 72 hours or so,” Meyer said on Wednesday. “So this is not something that has been kind of sat on. When the information came out, the players on the subcommittee made their feelings known. And Tony, to his credit, he’s always been about the players first and Tony decided to take the action he did in the interest of the players.”
Matt Nussbaum was promoted to interim deputy executive director from general counsel to assist Meyer.
“Bruce and Matt are talented and experienced and respected by players,” said Scott Boras, an agent for many top stars. “Players trust their leadership to continue to advance to advance the longstanding positions of the MLBPA.”
A 64-year-old veteran labor lawyer, Meyer joined the union staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a 99-day lockout that led to a five-year agreement in March 2022. The deal barely avoided what would have been the first loss of regular-season games since 1995. He was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022. Meyer spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal.
The start of the annual tour of spring training camps by union officials was pushed back a day and began Wednesday with the Kansas City Royals.
“Just on a personal level I think we’re all fairly devastated by things that have happened in the last 48, 72 hours,” Meyer said. “I’m not going to go beyond that in terms of personal feelings, but it’s fair to say that we were all personally upset, concerned about Tony. But I think this was something that the players determined had to happen at this particular point in time.”
MLB appears on track to propose a salary cap, which possibly could lead to a work stoppage that causes regular-season games to be canceled for the first time since 1995.
“We don’t expect anything to change in terms of bargaining,” Meyer said. “We’ve been preparing for bargaining for years. Players have been preparing. Players know what’s coming. At the end of the day leadership is important and leadership comes and goes, but what remains is the players. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine the direction of the union. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine our priorities and bargaining. Those priorities obviously have not changed and will not change.”
The union said it will resist a salary cap.
“Our position and the historic position of this union for decades on a salary cap is well known,” Meyer said. “It’s the ultimate restriction. It’s something that owners in all the sports have wanted more than anything and in baseball in particular there’s a reason for that, because it’s good for them and not good for players.”
Meyer wouldn’t directly address whether the union intends to restrict the hiring of family members.
“I think it’s fair to say there are issues that will be addressed,” Meyer said. “There are various issues that will be evaluated, reevaluated with the advice of counsel and, as always, at the direction of players.”
