Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, has received a five-year contract extension that will keep him in the leadership role through 2027, Evan Drellich reports. According to Drellich, the executive board of the union voted to extend Clark's tenure on Monday.
The 50-year-old Clark's recent history as MLBPA head has been rich in achievement. Under his leadership, the union made significant gains, particularly with regard to the under-compensation of young players, with the most recent collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
As well, Clark led the MLBPA to join the ranks of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. Most notably, the union under Clark's leadership moved to organize minor league players under the MLBPA banner. Negotiations on the first CBA at the minor league level are said to be ongoing.
Additionally, Clark and the MLBPA had to cope with the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic -- challenges that led to at times contentious negotiations with owners over the structure of two pandemic-compromised seasons. Given the criticism that accrued to Clark following the negotiation of the prior CBA that expired in 2021, it all amounts to a notable reversal in terms of boldness and accomplishment, and without as much it's fair to wonder whether Clark would still be in power.
Clark's extension means that he'll oversee the negotiations on the next CBA between MLB players and the league. The current CBA is set to expire following the 2026 season.
Clark brought and still brings to his role as union head the credibility of a former player. A former No. 2 overall pick out of a California high school, the 6-foot-8 Clark went to play parts of 15 seasons in the majors, seven of which came with the Detroit Tigers. Along the way, he made one All-Star team and hit 251 home runs, including a career-high 34 home runs in 1998.
