Cubs Star Ian Happ Gives His Two Cents on Tony Clark Resignation

It is the middle of February and that means one thing for professional baseball: spring training.

However, the headlines were stolen today by shocking news from the Major League Baseball Players Association. The face of the MLBPA has been Tony Clark for the last 13 years, until now. Clark announced he would resign, but the reason is even more shocking.

MLB insider Jeff Passan first reported the reason for Clark's departure, stating via X: "MLBPA executive director Tony Clark resigned after an internal investigation revealed he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who had been hired by the union in 2023, sources tell me..."

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark resigned after an internal investigation revealed he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who had been hired by the union in 2023, sources tell me and @DVNJr.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 17, 2026

The MLBPA has served to help negotiate collective bargaining agreements for all players on the 40-man roster, as well as some 5,000+ players in the pipeline. Clark had been a member of the union since 2010, when he served as Director of Player Relations and played a key role in the 2022 strike, but will now be watching from the sidelines.

Clark's departure was sudden and unexpected to say the least. Another insider, ESPN's Jesse Rogers, spoke with Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ about how they plan to navigate this loss heading into the season:

"With this group of players, we've been through a lot. We've seen a ton. We've been through a lockout, we've been through 2020. That kept the players very informed and very aware. Having gone through those experiences will help in this one," stated Happ.

Ian Happ on dealing with Clark news: "With this group of players, we've been through a lot. We've seen a ton. We've been through a lockout, we've been through 2020. That kept the players very informed and very aware. Having gone through those experiences will help in this one."
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) February 17, 2026

There is a lot of speculation right now as to what will happen in the 2027 season, as nearly everyone is fed up with what is happening in terms of salaries, payroll, and how much certain teams spend. With MLB still not having a salary cap, some teams have little to no chance of fielding competitive teams.

It will be very interesting to see who steps in for Clark and how his departure will affect the MLBPA's goals.

Clark's contributions during his tenure

The MLBPA now covers minor league players, but that wasn't the case. Clark made sure those in the farm system were under the union's umbrella, but that isn't all.

During the Pandemic in 2020, Clark was instrumental in uniting teams and helping everyone join back together on the ball field. There is a chance that without him, there wouldn't have been any baseball played that season.

Tony Clark | The Palm Beach Post-USA TODAY NETWORK

This wasn't the only difficult situation he was at the forefront of; he also led the last strike. The lockout lasted nearly 100 days, and by the end, a more lucrative collective bargaining agreement was reached.

The timing of this one is brutal, and it will affect more than just the Cubs. Happ, however, is confident that together they will find a way through it.

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