Bryce Harper has been one of the most polarizing players in baseball since joining the Phillies. When he’s healthy, there’s no one better. But Harper’s inconsistency — especially in October — drew public criticism from Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.
Four months later, Harper remains bewildered that Dombrowski expressed these concerns to the public.
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Back in October, Dombrowski said of Harper: “Can he step up to the next level again? I really don’t know the answer to that. He’s the guy who will determine that more than anything else. I don’t think he’s happy with the year he’s had. Again, it’s not a bad year. But when I think of Bryce Harper, you think elite, you think one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it falls into that category.”
The Dodgers eventually defeated the Phillies 3-1 in the National League Finals, and Harper went 3-for-15 in the series with no home runs and no RBIs. Fast forward to this week, and Harper admitted he was confused by Dombrowski’s comments.
Harper said:
“I’m not motivated by that kind of thing. To me, the whole situation that happened was kind of crazy. I think the biggest thing for me is when we first met with this organization, it was, ‘Hey, we’re always going to keep things internal and we want you to do the same.’ So, when that didn’t happen, I kind of ran away, so I don’t know. I guess that’s part of it. It’s a crazy situation.”
Harper went on to admit that he didn’t have the year he wanted. But given his contract, it makes sense for Harper to at least expect support from the organization.
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Trae Turner also defended Harper on Monday.
We’ll have to see if these comments end up being motivation. That may have been Dombrowski’s intention, but it’s clear Harper took exception to the way it was handled.
This article originally appeared in For the Win: Bryce Harper stunned after Phillies exec says he’s no longer elite
