In a heated argument last week over a prospective pay cap, Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper hurled an f-bomb on Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, ESPN reported Monday.
An enraged Harper allegedly confronted Manfred and urged him to “get the f– out of our clubhouse” if he wanted to address such a delicate economic subject.
Manfred said that he was “not going to get the f– out of here,” emphasizing that it was critical to discuss risks to the league’s business and strategies to grow the game, sources told ESPN.
Other players attempted to alleviate the tension, and Harper and Manfred eventually shook hands after the meeting, but Harper would not return Manfred’s calls the following day, according to the story.
“It was pretty intense, definitely passionate,” Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos said to ESPN. “Both of them.” The commissioner returns it to Bryce, who then returns it to the commissioner. That is Harp. He has been doing it since he was 15 years old. It’s only another day. I was not surprised.
Harper, 32, is two-time National League Most Valuable Player and eight-time All-Star.
The collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and the MLB Players Association expires on December 1, 2026. Many owners have advocated for a pay cap, given MLB is the only major men’s sport in North America that lacks one. Players are opposed, heightening the possibility of a work stoppage before the 2027 season.
Nick Castellanos didn’t hold back when reacting to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s recent comments. “Rob sounds pretty desperate about getting a salary cap in place if he’s already talking about a lockout—two years before the current labor deal even expires,” Castellanos said. “That’s not something you just throw out there lightly. It’s like being in a marriage and saying, ‘Yeah, I think we might get divorced.’ You don’t just say that unless you really mean it.”
Both Bryce Harper and Commissioner Manfred declined to speak with ESPN about the situation. Manfred’s stop in Philadelphia was part of his yearly tour, where he visits all 30 teams in hopes of building stronger connections with players and team staff.