COO and HR head leave baseball players’ union as shakeup continues

NEW YORK (AP) — Chief operating officer Xavier James and chief human resources officer Michael O’Neill left the Major League Baseball Players Association on Wednesday in more leadership changes following the ouster of union head Tony Clark in February.

The departures of James and O’Neill, first reported by ESPN, were confirmed by a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not announced.

Former pitcher Chris Capuano was promoted to interim chief operating officer. Capuano joined the union as director of operations in 2019 and was promoted to senior director of operations, business and strategy in 2022.

Ian Penny, the union’s general counsel from 2017-22 and currently a senior adviser, was given the additional title of interim chief HR officer.

Bruce Meyer became interim director on Feb. 18, one day after the forced resignation of Clark, a former All-Star first baseman. Meyer will head the union in bargaining for a labor contract to replace the deal that expires Dec. 1.

A management lockout is likely to start on Dec. 2.

Clark was asked to resign by the eight-man executive subcommittee of the players’ association 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, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that was not announced.

The investigation is headed by Adam L. Braverman, a former U.S. associate deputy attorney general and U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.

James worked for Gary Sheffield Management and Entertainment Group before he was hired by the union in 2018 as chief operating officer. He was promoted to COO the following year and earned $727,866 in 2025, according the union’s March 31 federal financial disclosure.

O’Neill was hired as chief HR officer in 2020 and earned $327,250 last year.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb