The Phillies’ offseason centered briefly on the relationship between president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and Bryce Harper after Dombrowski confirmed in Las Vegas that he recently spoke at length with the outfielder. The conversation took place during baseball’s general manager meetings, where Dombrowski said he had “a nice conversation” with Harper and that “everything went well.” He declined to share details, stating only that discussions between them would remain private.
Their meeting followed the team’s elimination by the Dodgers in the National League Division Series in October, after which Dombrowski questioned whether Harper could return to his highest level of performance. Harper’s .844 OPS last season was his lowest since 2016, and he went 3-for-15 in the postseason. In comments last month, Dombrowski described Harper as “still a quality player” and “still an All-Star-caliber player,” but he “didn’t have an elite season like he’s had in the past” and said the team would “only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good.”
During his Oct. 16 end-of-season press conference, he repeated that Harper “didn’t have an elite season,” and added a comparison involving Freddie Freeman:
“He’s still an All-Star caliber player. He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or if he continues to be good. I look around the league … Freddie Freeman. He’s a really good player, right? He still is a good player. Is he elite like he was before? Probably not to the same extent. Freddie’s a tremendous player. And, that to me, is Bryce. Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer.”
Harper told The Athletic he was “hurt” by those remarks and disappointed that his contributions were being questioned. He also reacted to speculation about a potential trade, saying the topic made him uncomfortable. Dombrowski later dismissed the idea of trading Harper. Harper’s contract includes a full no-trade clause along with MLB’s 10-and-5 rights, preventing a move without his consent.
During this period, Harper’s on-field performance and availability influenced betting markets that tracked his odds across various categories. Early in March, his NL MVP odds were listed at +1400. Game-specific props shifted with his recent results and matchups. One September listing placed his odds to hit a home run at +480 after he recorded five home runs that month. Another prop in April offered him at +145 to score over 0.5 runs. Analysts also evaluated his performance in individual matchups, including a total bases prop priced at +115. Betting markets responded to short-term developments as well, such as the brief illness that caused him to miss games in late September before returning to the lineup.
Harper remains under the 13-year, $330 million contract he signed before the 2019 season. In 2024, he hit .261/.357/.487 with 27 home runs in 132 games and finished sixth in MVP voting. His seven seasons with Philadelphia have included two All-Star selections, the 2021 NL MVP award, four consecutive postseason appearances, back-to-back NL East titles in 2024 and 2025, and a 2022 World Series appearance.
