No. 2 Baseball Union Official Bruce Meyer Shaken by Events Leading to Clark's Resignation

Meyer says leadership change won't alter bargaining preparations as MLB expected to push for salary cap

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The No. 2 official of the baseball players' association, Bruce Meyer, was shaken by the events that led to the resignation of union head Tony Clark. Meyer said the change in leadership will not alter bargaining preparations ahead of talks in which Major League Baseball is expected to push for a salary cap.

Why it matters

The resignation of Tony Clark, who had led the union since 2013, comes just months before the expected start of bargaining for a new labor contract. This leadership change could have significant implications for the upcoming negotiations, particularly as MLB is expected to push for a salary cap, which the union has historically opposed.

The details

Meyer, who was hired by Clark in 2018 and was promoted to deputy executive director in 2022, said the information that led to Clark's resignation came to light within the last 72 hours. Clark was asked to resign by the union's eight-man executive subcommittee after an investigation by the union's outside counsel discovered evidence that Clark had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023. Meyer said the union's entire executive board of 72 players is eligible to vote for a new executive director.

  • The information that led to Clark's resignation came to light within the last 72 hours.
  • Clark resigned on Tuesday, just months ahead of the expected start of bargaining for a new labor contract to replace the deal that expires on December 1.

The players

Bruce Meyer

The No. 2 official of the baseball players' association, who was hired by Tony Clark in 2018 and was promoted to deputy executive director in 2022.

Tony Clark

A former All-Star first baseman who headed the union since 2013 and resigned on Tuesday.

John Schreiber

The Royals player representative, who said he expects a decision late Wednesday on a successor to lead the union through collective bargaining.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Just on a personal level I think we're all fairly devasted 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, Deputy Executive Director, Baseball Players' Association (WRAL)

“The information that really led to this came out within the last ... 72 hours or so. 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.”

— Bruce Meyer, Deputy Executive Director, Baseball Players' Association (WRAL)

“We'll see how the meeting goes today. We're going on the right path and we'll have a decision shortly.”

— John Schreiber, Royals Player Representative (WRAL)

What’s next

The union's executive board was to meet online for the second straight day, and a decision on a successor to lead the union through collective bargaining is expected late Wednesday.

The takeaway

The resignation of Tony Clark as head of the baseball players' union comes at a critical time, just months before the expected start of bargaining for a new labor contract. While the leadership change may be disruptive in the short term, the union's priorities and bargaining positions are expected to remain unchanged, as the players themselves will ultimately determine the direction of the union.