Tony Clark joined the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in 2010 as director of player relations after a 15-year playing career.
Clark held that position for three years before he was unanimously voted the new executive director in December 2013. The promotion came following the passing of his predecessor, Michael Weiner.
Clark negotiated his first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on behalf of the MLBPA in 2016 and did so again during the previous lockout prior to the 2022 season. Although the previous round of talks led to the sport’s first work stoppage since the 1994-95 strike, a new deal was still reached in time to save a full 162-game season.
The players achieved several notable gains in the new CBA, and according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, Clark was rewarded with a five-year contract extension:
On Monday, the players rewarded their executive director with a five-year extension, a union official told The Athletic, putting Clark in line to oversee a third major league collective bargaining negotiation.
Clark’s new contract extension runs through the 2026 season, which means he will be in position to lead the players through the next CBA negotiations as well.
Along with negotiating two CBAs since 2016, Clark helped navigate players through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and more recently played a key role in Minor Leaguers joining the union.
In the 2022 negotiations, Clark focused on making the game more competitive and getting players better compensated earlier in their careers before they reach free agency.
Among the key parts of the CBA included a pre-arbitration bonus pool of $50 million, the minimum salary raised to $700,000 in 2022 and an increase each year until 2026 when it hits $780,000, and an increased collective bargaining tax ceiling.
Angels owner Arte Moreno to vote on Barry Bonds & Roger Clemens Hall Of Fame status
Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno is a part of a committee tasked with debating and ultimately voting on the eligibility status of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
The committee is set to meet on Sunday to discuss if Bonds and Clemens are destined for Cooperstown after failing to be voted on in their 10 years on the ballot by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
A candidate requires 75% of the vote to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and a minimum of 5% to stay on the ballot for a nominee’s next year of eligibility. Bonds received 260 of 394 votes (66%), while Clemens garnered 257 votes (65.2%) and they’re close to reaching the threshold needed to join MLB’s most prestigious class.
