Sun Shines Again in Philadelphia
Things seem to be looking up in Philadelphia as Phillies’ president of operations, Dave Dombrowski, appears to have patched things up with Bryce Harper after some earlier comments that supposedly “infuriated” the team.
Dombrowski mentioned that their recent conversation was “productive,” though he didn’t share much detail. “I talked to him,” he said during the team’s general manager meeting held in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “We had a nice conversation. Everything went well.”
After the Phillies’ loss in four games to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who went on to win the championship, Dombrowski reflected on whether Harper could return to his MVP form.
The 33-year-old Harper managed to hit 27 home runs last season and posted a respectable 131 wRC+, but his OPS of .844 was the lowest since 2016.
In the postseason, he ended the season with a record of three wins in 15 games.
“He’s still a quality player. He’s still an All-Star,” Dombrowski said some weeks back. “He didn’t have the elite seasons he’s had in the past. I think only we know if he’s going to be elite or if he’s going to continue to do well.”
Dombrowski later clarified his previous remarks, confirming to a reporter that there are no intentions to trade Harper and pointed out that injuries have played a significant role in his diminishing performance. “He’s a great player,” Dombrowski reiterated. “He’s a future Hall of Famer. He’s a cornerstone of our franchise, and we want him for the long haul.”
Nevertheless, trade rumors have lingered. Harper told The Athletic a week later, “We’ve made every effort to avoid them.”
Since his exit from the NLDS, Harper has not spoken to Dombrowski or managing partner John Middleton. He expressed, with some hurt, how the situation unfolded. “It’s disappointing to hear the questions being asked about my contribution to the team,” he told The Athletic. “That thought really hurt me because I love Philadelphia so much.”
This tension prompted a recent dialogue, which Dombrowski described positively. “We had a good conversation,” he said, adding that their discussions are meant to stay private.
Harper signed a lucrative 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies before the 2019 season, and he finished sixth in NL MVP voting in 2024. He previously won the award in 2021.
