Baseball

Phillies: Dave Dombrowski doesn’t know if Bryce Harper can be an elite player again
Maxime Trudeau
Phillies: Dave Dombrowski doesn’t know if Bryce Harper can be an elite player again
Credit: Yardbarker

Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made a big statement about one of the best players on his roster.

Basically, he said he didn't know if Bryce Harper would ever be an elite player again, or if he'd continue to be a good player at most.

I don't know what Dombrowski's intention was in making such a statement about the face of his organization. However, it will undoubtedly be the talk of the town in Philadelphia.

Does he really mean it, does he want to provoke his star player because he expects a better performance, or does he want to get rid of his services to change the culture of his organization? It begs the question!

Good years ahead

Today is Bryce Harper's birthday. He's turning 33 – happy birthday, Bryce, if you're reading this!

At 33, Harper still has some great baseball to offer fans, and especially his teammates. Aaron Judge is older than he is, and his batting stats are mind-boggling. In the same vein, Dombrowski uses the example of Freddie Freeman. At 36, Freeman is no longer an elite player, but he's still a very good one.

The best thing to know about Freeman is that, in his 33rd birthday year, he finished third in the MVP voting.

I think one aspect that hurts Harper is that he's been in MLB for a long time (14 years). Seven seasons in Washington and seven already in Philly. He was excellent in his early years, winning Rookie of the Year at 19 and even the first of his two MVP titles at 22. Speaking of his MVP titles, let's not forget how he carried the club on his shoulders in 2021 to earn his second crown!

On the other hand, his longevity seems to be working against him in popular opinion. People forget just how much he's still in his prime, and that he can bounce back from a less-than-stellar season to his very high standards.

Injuries that leave their mark

The problem is that, after 2021, injuries began to haunt her. Starting with the 2023 campaign, he began to play on the first cushion rather than as an outfielder, after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Then there's the nagging right wrist injury that has hampered his work for at least two seasons.

Okay, as Dombrowski mentions, he may no longer be a top-10 player on the Manfred circuit. Can he get back there? Of course he can! I think Harper is far too motivated to win a World Series, and after his team's more than disappointing elimination this year, he'll answer his destiny's call to win the Holy Grail sooner rather than later.

However, all that being said, in my opinion, this will leave indelible marks in the city of brotherly love.

PMLB
  • Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the Blue Jays line-up. Anthony Santander has a bit of a sore back.

  • Bryce Miller will pitch game #5. On the other side, it'll be Kevin Gausman – with the possibility of Trey Yesavage if the Blue Jays lose tonight.

  • Jason Varitek should be back in the bullpen in 2026.

  • Manny Ramirez wants to be a hitting coach.

  • An upcoming documentary on Alex Rodriguez.

This content was created with the help of AI.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!