With the collective bargaining settlement set to run out on Dec. 1, the MLB Gamers Affiliation is immediately on the lookout for a brand new govt director. Tony Clark, the union’s chief since 2013, resigned Tuesday after an inside investigation reportedly revealed he had been having an “inappropriate” relationship along with his sister-in-law, who had been employed by the union in 2023.
Bruce Meyer, the union’s deputy director and lead negotiator, stays with the MLBPA. CBA negotiations sometimes start within the spring and actually warmth up round Opening Day. It’s unclear who may substitute Clark, although the union will desire a new govt director in place quickly. Clark’s alternative should in fact be voted on and accepted by the gamers. Subcommittee member Brent Suter informed The Athletic that there can be an interim chief to “preserve every thing as steady as we are able to this yr.”
The timing of Clark’s resignation is certainly not nice. CBA negotiations are all the time contentious and that may once more be the case come December. The 2022-23 lockout lasted a file 99 days and commissioner Rob Manfred has made it fairly clear one other lockout is coming. “In a weird means, it is really a constructive,” Manfred stated final yr a few lockout.
Clark, 53, joined the union in 2010 and was unanimously accepted as govt director following Michael Weiner’s loss of life in December 2013. He oversaw two CBA negotiations and had three years to arrange for his first negotiation in 2016. His alternative is not going to have that luxurious. The following govt director will bounce proper into CBA talks.
Listed below are six main points Clark’s eventual alternative must sort out as soon as CBA talks start with MLB.
Wage cap
Lengthy story brief, CBA negotiations are about cash. Every little thing else is secondary. There’s a large pile of cash and the 2 sides haggle as a result of they every desire a larger piece. MLB has carried out an excellent job promoting a wage cap as essential to enhance aggressive stability, however make no mistake, it’s about cash. Above all, a wage cap restricts participant salaries and boosts franchise values.
MLB has pursued a wage cap for the reason that Eighties. They search one each CBA negotiation. The query this time is how dug in are the 30 homeowners? They may see Clark’s abrupt resignation as a second of weak point for the union, and push more durable for a wage cap than ever. (Bear in mind, only a few present homeowners have been round to expertise how a lot the 1994-95 strike broken the sport.)
The union has resisted a wage cap — MLB is the one non-capped league in North America — and figures to take action once more this CBA negotiation. It’s straightforward to be a doomer about these items and anticipate video games to be missed in 2027, and possibly they are going to be, however it’s means too early to say that for sure. MLB’s nationwide tv offers are up in 2028. Shedding video games can be horrible for enterprise.
Additionally, a wage cap just isn’t a easy sure or no merchandise. Even when the MLBPA relents and agrees to a wage cap, the 2 sides need to agree on how the entire thing would work. What counts as baseball-related income and what number do the gamers obtain? What is the cap? What is the ground? How do you implement it? The sure/no is the straightforward half. Determining the system is the actual struggle.
Income sharing
With or with out a wage cap, the income sharing system is prone to be adjusted within the subsequent CBA. Presently, each staff places 48% of its native income (native tv deal, tickets, concessions, and so forth.) into the pot, then every staff takes out an equal 1/thirtieth share. Massive-market groups pay extra into income sharing than they take out. Small-market groups take out greater than they pay in.
Baseball has all the time had a income disparity drawback but it surely has by no means been this excessive. Between payroll and aggressive stability tax, the Dodgers fielded a $516 million roster in 2025, or greater than the underside 5 payroll groups mixed. Adjusting the income sharing program will pit the homeowners towards one another. After that, they need to take it to the MLBPA and get the union’s approval too.
Arbitration
MLB has sought to remove the arbitration course of and substitute it with a pay-for-play system, the place participant wage is set strictly by their efficiency. Tarik Skubal’s current file $32 million arbitration win is prone to ramp up these efforts. Arbitration is a key merchandise for the MLBPA. They’re towards something that takes away a participant’s means to barter his wage. They’re going to struggle to maintain arbitration.
Postseason growth
The postseason solely grows bigger — it by no means shrinks — and playoff growth has actually ramped up in recent times. Listed below are what number of groups certified for the postseason all through baseball historical past (ignoring the 2020 pandemic season):
- 1903-68: 2 groups (World Sequence solely)
- 1969-93: 4 groups (Championship Sequence added)
- 1994-2011: 8 groups (Division Sequence added)
- 2012-21: 10 groups (Wild Card Sport added)
- 2022-present: 12 groups (Wild Card Sequence added)
MLB pushed for a 14-team postseason subject over the last CBA negotiation and the MLBPA held the road at 12 groups. That offers the union a negotiating chip this time round. The gamers need playoff growth too. It means extra gamers get an opportunity at a World Sequence and (extra importantly) there’s extra postseason income to go round. They are going to use it as a bargaining chip although.
I don’t know what the subsequent CBA will deliver (nobody does proper now), however I’m extra assured in it bringing a 14-team postseason subject than I’m the rest.
Worldwide draft
Newbie gamers in america, Canada, and Puerto Rico are topic to the draft each summer time. Newbie gamers all over the place else on this planet are free brokers who can signal with any staff. As soon as upon a time, groups may pay worldwide free brokers no matter they needed. These days it’s nonetheless a free agent system, although there’s a onerous cap on spending in place every summer time.
Over the past CBA negotiation, MLB provided to remove the qualifying provide system in alternate for a world draft. The MLBPA stated no. MLB will strive once more for a world draft as a result of it’s going to preserve prices down. The union may use it as a bargaining chip — “We’ll offer you a world draft for this, this, and that” — although they’ve opposed a world draft thus far.
Growth
MLB is in the midst of its longest growth drought for the reason that league first expanded in 1961. Manfred has stated he desires to place the wheels in movement for growth earlier than he retires in January 2029. That doesn’t imply there can be 32 groups for the 2029 season. It simply means Manfred desires the method to start. Soliciting growth bids, reviewing proposals, that type of factor.
The union will certainly be on board with growth as a result of it means extra roster spots and extra jobs. I am unsure baseball is prepared for growth (there’s barely sufficient pitching for 30 groups as it’s), but it surely’s coming both means. Growth is unlikely to be a sticking level throughout CBA talks. It is simply one thing that has to get placed on the desk and agreed to alongside the best way.
