Another disappointing winter has left the Philadelphia Phillies in more or less the same position as last season: a very good team with the inside track to win their division, but not nearly enough offensive firepower to truthfully challenge the likes of L.A. come October. Baseball is a funny sport and unpredictable in nature, but after three years of steady postseason regression, viewing the Phillies as a World Series-caliber team — as currently constructed — requires a certain naivety, or at least wishful thinking.
Even worse, it would appear that Dave Dombrowski has done something arguably worse than failing to improve the roster. He has upset Philadelphia’s foundational star, for reasons we might never fully grasp.
Bryce Harper trade chatter
- Bryce Harper is upset… but why?
- Does this mean the Phillies will trade Bryce Harper?
- Which teams would actually call about Bryce Harper?
Bryce Harper is upset… but why?
Here’s what Harper relayed to reporters from the Phillies’ spring complex on Sunday morning.
“I don’t get motivated by that kind of stuff,” Harper said (h/t The Athletic). “For me, it was wild — the whole situation happening. The big thing for me was, when we first met with this organization, it was, ‘Hey, we’re always going to keep things in-house, and we expect you to do the same thing.’ So, when that didn’t happen, it kind of took me for a run a little bit.”
Harper is referring to past comments from Phillies president Dave Dombrowski early in the offseason, when he questioned if the two-time MVP could return to “elite” status after a rocky 2025 campaign.
“Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer,” Dombrowski said (h/t ESPN). “He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else. I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had. Again, it wasn’t a bad year. But when I think of Bryce Harper, you think elite, you think of one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it fit into that category.”
While this is an honest (and frankly, accurate) assessment from Dombrowski, it clearly rubbed Harper the wrong way. He took to wearing ‘NOT ELITE’ t-shirts in the batting cage. Now, months later, Harper is still plainly upset with Dombrowski expressing such thoughts to the public.
“For Dave to come out and say those things, it’s kind of wild to me still,” Harper added on Sunday. He also said his locker is always open, should Dombrowski want to discuss things.
As Harper gears up for the season (and to play for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic), the Phillies clearly have fences to mend.
Does this mean the Phillies will trade Bryce Harper?
Time will tell how long this festers between Harper and Dombrowski. The Phillies just went through an ugly breakup with a clearly disgruntled “star” in Nick Castellanos, but Harper occupies a much higher standing in the organization. Harper has done nothing to disparage Philadelphia, the fans, or even necessarily the organization as a whole. It seems like his frustration is concentrated on Dombrowski.
A GM and star don’t need to have a chummy working relationship, so long as Harper has friends in the clubhouse and he’s content on the field. That should all be true, for now. Philadelphia brought back Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, two longtime teammates and leaders. Harper is close with Trea Turner and Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. The familiarity of this group could go a long way toward preventing this situation from boiling over.
Given Harper’s age (33) and the duration of his contract (roughly $26 million AAV through 2031, his age-38 season), he’s not necessarily a super high value trade chip. At least relative to his on-field value for a Phillies team attempting to win as much as possible in the short term. His contract is dirt cheap relative to the high-profile deals being signed in free agency nowadays, but it’s still a $150 million commitment to a full-time first baseman on a (slow) decline.
The smart bet is against a trade for now. The Phillies won’t find a better option in the heart of their lineup, and Harper would have a tough time spinning this into a forceful trade request. That said, if he makes enough of a stink — if he really wanted to get out from under Dombrowski’s thumb — crazier things have happened. Boston just dealt Rafael Devers for pennies on the dollar because he didn’t want to learn first base. If Harper decides to go scorched earth, as improbable as it sounds right now, the Phillies could be forced to mortgage the present for the future.
Which teams would actually call about Bryce Harper?
Texas Rangers
The Rangers would love to upgrade Jake Burger’s spot in the lineup and Harper’s mild AAV commitment probably falls within their budget, especially given his star-power and the financial benefits to adding such a player. Texas has a tolerance for older stars (see: Jacob deGrom) and just recently won a World Series in 2023. There’s a solid competitive infrastructure in place. Harper could dramatically sway the Rangers’ odds in a wide-open division. He’d probably bat cleanup behind Brandon Nimmo, Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager. That’s a tantalizing proposition.
San Diego Padres
AJ Preller is constantly on the prowl, with endless ambition even in the face of financial hardship. Harper’s contract, again, is so reasonable for a star of his caliber, even if it runs a bit long. San Diego has hit a wall with its current core. Manny Machado is aging out of superstardom. There’s a real need for a shot in the arm. With all due respect to Gavin Sheets, Harper is a supermassive upgrade at first base and the jolt San Diego needs to earnestly challenge L.A. in the NL West.
Toronto Blue Jays
I’d bet good money on Toronto placing a phone call. The Blue Jays are in constant pursuit of stardom and don’t face the same roadblocks in a trade as they do in free agency. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. obviously takes up first base, but there’s a world in which Harper moves back to right field — or takes over DH duties as the Jays prepare for George Springer’s potential departure next winter. Few teams are more motivated to spend money and resources in pursuit of winning than the reigning AL champs. Harper could author a nice final chapter up north.
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati threw real money at Kyle Schwarber this offseason in an effort to sell more tickets. Harper sells tickets, and his contract is a bit more manageable year-to-year than Cincy’s high-AAV offer to Schwarber. There’s no hometown connection there, but the Reds were in the playoffs last season and hope to build a real winner around Elly De La Cruz. Harper can bridge the gap between present and future, giving Cincy the middle-order thump it so clearly needs. Real dark horse energy here, in theory.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh was another real threat to sign Schwarber, and there’s no reason not to put similar effort into acquiring Harper, should he become available. The Pirates are finally willing to pour actual financial resources into building a winning team. Bumping Spencer Horwitz to a bench role is easy enough, and Harper would join a lineup that (for now) includes Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn and potentially Konnor Griffin. With Paul Skenes and that pitching staff, the Buccos start to feel like a real contender. That said, it’s fair to question if Philly would truly consider trading Harper in-state, even if Pittsburgh puts the best offer on the table.
New York Yankees
There was plenty of Bryce Harper-Yankees buzz once upon a time. Better late than never? New York would need to reshuffle the board a bit, potentially testing Ben Rice at catcher or moving on from Trent Grisham to clear up space in the outfield. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the Yankees are the Yankees for a reason. Harper can even keep his beard now in this more progressive era of New York baseball. Put him behind Aaron Judge (or vice versa) and the moonshots will flow, especially at Yankee Stadium. Short Porch Harper?
