Bryce Harper Says Phillies Will 'Be Back' After 2023 NLCS Game 7 Loss to Diamondbacks

In the aftermath of the Philadelphia Phillies' 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, Bryce Harper expressed optimism that the future is still bright for the organization.

Speaking to reporters following the game, Harper said the Phillies will "be back" because they have "a great owner." He also said president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is "going to get us the best opportunity to win and be here every single year."

The Phillies looked like they were going to cruise into the World Series for most of the playoffs. They had no problems in the NL Wild Card series against the Miami Marlins and eliminated the 104-win Atlanta Braves in four games in the NLDS.

When the NLCS started, the Phillies looked far superior to the Diamondbacks. They won the first two games by a combined score of 15-3 before the series shifted to Arizona.

Craig Kimbrel's shakiness came back to bite the Phillies in Games 3 and 4. He gave up Ketel Marte's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth in Game 3. He followed that up by allowing a game-tying two-run homer to Alek Thomas in the bottom of the eighth in Game 4.

Kimbrel also allowed a single to Marte and hit Corbin Carroll with a pitch in that eighth inning before Phillies manager Rob Thomson finally pulled him. Marte came around to score the go-ahead run in a 6-5 win on Gabriel Moreno's single off José Alvarado.

The Phillies took a 3-2 series lead with a win in Game 5, but their bats went cold in the final two games when they came back to Citizens Bank Park. They scored a total of three runs and went 11-for-63 at the dish with just two hits in 17 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

In a moment that would have echoed his series-clinching homer in last year's NLCS, Harper had a chance to give the Phillies a lead with two runners on in the bottom of the seventh. His swing on a fastball over the heart of the plate by Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel was just a hair under the sweet spot for a flyout to center field.

Even though this result is disappointing, Harper is correct that the Phillies won't be shy about spending if they can upgrade their roster. Aaron Nola is set to become a free agent and could command a significant contract despite having a 4.46 ERA in 32 starts this season.

Rhys Hoskins is the only other notable pending free agent for the Phillies, but he's potentially disposable simply because they already have enough players to rotate between first base and DH.

Since the Phillies hired Dombrowski in December 2020, they have signed five free agents to contracts worth at least $72 million total. This includes deals of at least $100 million for Nick Castellanos (five years, $100 million), J.T. Realmuto (five years, $115.5 million) and Trea Turner (11 years, $300 million).

Not all of those deals have worked out great for the Phillies, but they have built a roster that had them in the World Series last year and in Game 7 of the NLCS this year.