The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is a foundational piece of the league. Executive director Tony Clark is one of the biggest faces of the players union. He's tackled a barrage of topics during his time. Last season, Clark revealed action amid the MLB's complaints about uniforms.

Fast forward one year and his complaints are about something much more severe. He explained Friday morning via Barry Bloom of Sportico regarding if the MLB will stop play at any point in the next few seasons.

“Unless I am mistaken, the league has come out and said there’s going to be a work stoppage,” Tony Clark, the union’s executive director, said Friday morning to a few members of the media after meeting with the San Francisco Giants players at Scottsdale Stadium. “So, I don’t think I’m speaking out of school in that regard.”

“The statement has been there’s going to be a lockout and it’s a good thing for the game,” Clark said. “Even to go as far as saying it’s like using a .22 rather than shotgun.”

Much of the complaints between the MLB and the players union are about how funds are being used. For instance, there is no salary cap, so teams can spend as much as they want. As a result, players feel that there should be higher incentives in their contracts. However, some teams will not be able to keep up.

It's a crossroads between the front offices and the players. After all, someone like Juan Soto received a historic $765 million contract, which is currently the highest in MLB history.

Tony Clark sees the MLB entering a lockout period

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The last strike or lockout was seen in 2021. Before then, it was during the 1994-95 season. When that strike happened, it shocked many and forced the owners to meet the players' demands.

This time, it's the other way around. The Players Union expects the owners to be the ones to force the strike. Much of it has to do with implementing a luxury tax, or a cap.

Going back to 2021, Clark emphasized that the discussions about setting a floor are happening, despite reports that they weren't willing to negotiate.

“We never said that,” Clark said. “During the last round of bargaining, we had that conversation. Except the response is every time you talk about a floor there has to be a cap. And that’s not accurate. You don’t have to have a cap to have a floor. The union isn’t against one.”

Either way, no one can tell what will exactly happen. Judging from Clark's remarks though, the league will be at a crossroads for the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.