Between meetings at the MLB general managers’ summit this week, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski revealed that he recently had a “good conversation” with Bryce Harper — one that lasted “quite a while”.
With that, Dombrowski declared the so-called Harper controversy officially over.
But what does Harper himself think?
“Well, look,” Harper’s agent Scott Boras told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday, “I’ve said from the start that [owner] John Middleton and Dave Dombrowski want Bryce Harper to finish his career in Philadelphia.”
And according to Boras, Harper feels the same way.
“The reason Bryce didn’t include an opt-out in that contract was because he didn’t want this kind of drama,” Boras explained. “He wanted every player to know, ‘I’m in Philadelphia for the rest of my career. Come play with me. I’m staying here. I’m committed to this.’ Dave and John have made it clear they want him to retire as a Phillie.”
So — all is forgiven? Probably. Maybe. Time will tell.
To recap: During an October 16 end-of-season press conference, just a week after the Phillies were eliminated in the NLDS for the second straight year, Dombrowski was asked whether Harper’s 2025 campaign — in which he hit .261 with 27 home runs and an .844 OPS, below his .905 career mark — signaled a down year or a potential decline as he nears age 33.
“He’s still a great player,” Dombrowski said at the time. “He’s still All-Star caliber. It just wasn’t an elite year like we’ve seen before. We’ll find out whether he gets back to that level or continues being very good. Think of someone like Freddie Freeman — still tremendous, but maybe not quite as elite as before. That’s where Bryce is. Can he rise again? We’ll see. He’s the one who controls that.”
It was a candid response — perhaps even a calculated challenge. Harper has been known to thrive on perceived slights, as Braves fans can attest after his infamous staredown of Orlando Arcia following two home runs in the 2023 NLDS.
Still, Harper’s camp felt the comments ignored key context — namely that he played through a painful right wrist injury that sidelined him for three weeks in June, affecting his swing and power numbers.
The remarks also sparked unfounded rumors that the Phillies might entertain trade offers for Harper, speculation both Dombrowski and Middleton privately dismissed. Middleton, in particular, has long envisioned Harper entering the Hall of Fame wearing a Phillies cap.
Harper later told The Athletic that the comments “really hurt” and were “disappointing,” but it appears his recent meeting with Dombrowski helped clear the air.
Now halfway through his 13-year, $330 million deal signed in 2019 — then the largest in North American sports history — Harper has expressed interest in playing beyond the contract’s end, possibly through an extension.
“It’s an ongoing conversation,” Boras said.
Through seven seasons in Philadelphia, Harper’s numbers (.281 average, 179 home runs, .912 OPS, 145 OPS+) nearly mirror his first seven years in Washington (.279, 184 homers, .900 OPS, 139 OPS+), suggesting a remarkable level of consistency as he ages.
Boras also highlighted Harper’s stable bat speed — 74.2 mph this season compared to 74.0 last year and 75.5 in 2023 — as further evidence that the 32-year-old slugger remains in elite form.
“Players with that kind of exceptional bat speed,” Boras said, “don’t age the way others do. Chronological age just isn’t a factor.”
Maybe not. But Dombrowski’s comments about Harper’s performance were still fair — and honest — even if they might have been better delivered behind closed doors.
Then again, perhaps that was the point. During a separate press conference on October 16, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he believes Harper will channel the criticism into motivation.
“He hasn’t told me this,” Thomson said, “but I know the type. When a player of his caliber has what he considers a down year, he’ll go full throttle in the offseason to get back to where he belongs. I think that’s just Harp’s mindset.”
If that’s true, Dombrowski’s remarks may end up serving as the perfect fuel for Harper’s next big season.