LAS VEGAS — Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he had a long conversation with star Bryce Harper recently but wouldn’t go into specifics about what the two discussed. The talk came after recent comments by Dombrowski seemed to irk Harper whose .844 OPS last season was his lowest since 2016.
“I’ve spoken to him,” Dombrowski said at baseball’s general manager meetings Tuesday. “We had a nice conversation. Everything went well.”
After the Phillies were ousted by the Dodgers in the National League Division Series in October, Dombrowski openly wondered if Harper could return to the best version of himself. Harper had a good season in 2025, but it wasn’t close to a career year and it included a 3-for-15 performance in the postseason.
“He’s still a quality player. He’s still an All-Star-caliber player,” Dombrowski said last month. “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.”
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Harper said he was “hurt” by the comments.
“It’s disappointing to hear me being questioned about my contribution to the team,” Harper told The Athletic. “Just really hurt by that notion because I love Philly so much.”
It prompted the recent conversation between Dombrowski and Harper, characterized as a “productive” one by the Phillies’ boss.
“We had a good conversation,” Dombrowski said. “We talked for quite a while. And really, conversations between Bryce and myself are between us.”
Harper is in the middle of a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia, signed before the 2019 season. He finished sixth in MVP voting in 2024 after winning the award with the Phillies in 2021.
