Bruce Meyer named interim head of baseball players' union

Promotion comes ahead of expected contentious labor negotiations with team owners

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Bruce Meyer was promoted to interim executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association on Wednesday, a day after Tony Clark's forced resignation. The move was made for continuity ahead of the likely start in April of what figures to be contentious collective bargaining with team owners.

Why it matters

The MLBPA is one of the most powerful unions in professional sports, and the upcoming labor negotiations will be crucial in determining the future of the game. Meyer's promotion provides stability as the union prepares for what could be a difficult set of talks with team owners.

The details

Meyer, a 64-year-old veteran labor lawyer, joined the union staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a 99-day lockout that led to a five-year agreement in March 2022. He was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022. Matt Nussbaum was also promoted to interim deputy executive director from general counsel. The decisions were made by the MLBPA executive board during an online meeting, with both votes being unanimous.

  • Meyer was promoted to interim executive director on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.
  • The annual tour of spring training camps by union officials was pushed back a day and began on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.

The players

Bruce Meyer

A 64-year-old veteran labor lawyer who joined the MLBPA staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a 99-day lockout that led to a five-year agreement in March 2022. He was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.

Matt Nussbaum

Promoted to interim deputy executive director from general counsel.

Tony Clark

The former All-Star first baseman who headed the MLBPA since 2013, but resigned on Tuesday just months ahead of the expected start of bargaining for a new labor contract.

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What they’re saying

“Just on a personal level I think we're all fairly devastated by things that have happened in the last 48, 72 hours. 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.”

— Bruce Meyer, Interim Executive Director, MLBPA (nbcsports.com)

“We don't expect anything to change in terms of bargaining. 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.”

— Bruce Meyer, Interim Executive Director, MLBPA (nbcsports.com)

“Our position and the historic position of this union for decades on a salary cap is well known. 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.”

— Bruce Meyer, Interim Executive Director, MLBPA (nbcsports.com)

What’s next

The MLBPA's executive board will continue to prepare for the upcoming labor negotiations with team owners, which are expected to begin in April 2026.

The takeaway

The promotion of Bruce Meyer to interim executive director of the MLBPA provides stability and continuity as the union prepares for what could be contentious labor negotiations with team owners. Meyer's experience leading the previous round of negotiations gives the players' union a seasoned negotiator at the helm during this critical period.