Phillies' Bryce Harper Reportedly 'Pissed Off' By Dave Dombrowski's 'Elite' Comments

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper was reportedly "pissed off" after president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski openly wondered in his end-of-season press conference whether the eight-time All-Star could return to an "elite" level, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Dombrowski had this to say in part on Oct. 16, per ESPN News Services.

"He's still a quality player. He's still an All-Star-caliber player," Dombrowski said Thursday as he broke down the season. "He didn't have an elite season like he's had in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good."

Harper has a place reserved in Cooperstown someday, with two NL MVP awards and eight All-Star Game appearances.

He's seven seasons into a 13-year, $330 million contract and fared well in 2025, hitting .261 (.844 OPS) with 27 home runs and 75 RBI over 132 games.

However, his last season was a bit off from previous campaigns. His career marks are .280 (.905 OPS) and a per-162 game average of 33 home runs and 95 RBI.

Dombrowski's remarks reportedly didn't sit well with Harper, with Heyman citing "people connected to the Phillies." Heyman also said those comments sprung trade speculation (of note, Harper does have a full no-trade clause), but Dombrowski shut that down in a conversation with the New York Post writer.

"Bryce Harper's not getting traded," Dombrowski told Heyman. "He's a great player. He's a future Hall of Famer. He's a cornerstone of our franchise, and we look to have him with us for a long, long time."

He also noted that Harper's numbers were affected by inflammation in his right wrist and didn't play for nearly all of June because of the ailment.

Ultimately, it's understandable why Harper wasn't thrilled with Dombrowski's comments, but the page is now turning to 2026, and the Phillies must try to figure out how to make a longer playoff run after a pair of NL East division titles still led to quick postseason exits in the NL Division Series each of the past two years.