The Philadelphia Phillies have had a bit of drama swirling around the organization throughout the offseason due to Dave Dombrowski's comments about Bryce Harper not being an elite player anymore. Since then, Harper has opened up about the situation, and on Tuesday, he claimed that he and Dombrowski had a talk with one another about those comments.
While guest appearing on Sports Radio 94WIP, the 33-year-old first baseman claims that he and Dombrowski have settled their differences. Harper also stated that he didn't feel disrespected by the “not elite” comments, but rather, felt bothered that Dombrowski made those comments public.
“Yeah, we communicated,” said Harper. “You know, I think it's in the past and just trying to move on and get ready for the season.”
“No, I mean, I don't think it was,” said Harper after being asked if he felt disrespected. “It was just the notion of coming out and talking to the media, and like I said before, I've talked about it a million times, obviously. Just it happening out in the open.”
Bryce Harper on the Dave Dombrowski "not elite" comments: "Yeah we communicated and I think it's in the past and just trying to move on and get ready for the season."
Harper adds he did not feel disrespected, but was bothered that Dombrowski made those comments publicly. pic.twitter.com/16icFNme9i
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) February 24, 2026
Bryce Harper, while previously appearing on the “Bussin' with the Boys” podcast, mentioned before that Dave Dombrowski's comments being made publicly are what bothered him. But from the sounds of it, the eight-time All-Star is now shifting his attention to the upcoming 2026 MLB season.
2025 was a decent outing for Harper. His .261 batting average, however, was a tad under par for his standards (.280 career batting average). He'll aim to improve upon that batting average, along with his .357 OBP, 131 hits, 27 home runs, and 75 RBIs in 2026 once he begins his 15th season in MLB.
