February 15, 2026
There was an edge to Bryce Harper's words when he finally spoke to the press Sunday in Clearwater.
Dave Dombrowski's questioning of whether the Phillies superstar could ever be elite again, after another postseason run that ended quickly for the club, has been a sore spot for fans and even Harper all winter.
So when Harper stood in front of the huddle of cameras, recorders, and notebooks, the day before the Phillies' first full squad workout of spring training, Dombrowski's comments and their time to brew for months were the immediate point to address.
They're not a motivator, Harper said, but they sure do seem like an irritator.
"I don't get motivated by that kind of stuff. For me, it was kind of wild, the whole situation of that happening," Harper said of the Phillies' top executive (via NBC Sports Philadelphia). "I think the big thing for me was when we first met with this organization, it was 'Hey, we're always gonna keep things in house, and we expect you to do the same thing.' When that didn't happen, it kind of took me for a run a little bit.
"So, I don't know. It's part of it, I guess. It's kind of a wild situation, that even happening. Obviously, I didn't have the year that I wanted. Obviously, I didn't have the postseason I wanted. My numbers weren't where they needed to be. I know that. I don't need to be motivated to be great, in my career or anything else. So that's just not a motivating factor for me.
"For Dave to come out and say those things, it's kind of wild to me still."
And sure seems to have stuck in Harper's craw.
Bryce Harper admits that he thought Kyle Schwarber was going to end up signing with his hometown Cincinnati Reds. 😳
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 15, 2026
Harper adds that he's excited for Adolis Garcia to play in Philly. pic.twitter.com/z28efxD4YA
Last season definitely was a down one by Harper's standards. He slashed .261/.357/.487 with 27 home runs, while missing a few weeks' worth of time in June because of a wrist injury. He played in just 132 games because of it, then in the NLDS against the Dodgers, he went cold, much like the rest of the Phillies' lineup.
Harper went 3-for-15 with only a double and three walks. The Phillies lost to the Dodgers in four games. The end-of-year assessment with Dombrowski's "elite" comments about Harper followed a few days later, and appeared to fester.
During the offseason, Harper was seen on social media in the batting cages wearing a shirt that read "NOT ELITE" across his chest, indicating that he had clearly heard what Dombrowski said.
As far as the thought behind the shirt itself goes, Harper's explanation was blunt: "If they're gonna make 'em, I'm gonna wear 'em."
As far as whether he has spoken to Dombrowski about the situation, Harper's answer wasn't nearly as straightforward.
"I just think the conclusion is, obviously, we keep things in-house," Harper continued. "That's just how it's always been, and in that moment, it just didn't happen. I think my locker is always open for them to come and talk to me and vice versa, so it is what it is right now."
Not a motivator, but definitely an irritator.
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