“I want to hold that trophy. That’s the goal every single time you get into Spring Training… I’m going to work my b-tt off this offseason again and get ready for next year.” That’s where Bryce Harper’s head was at when the Phillies’ postseason run ended against the Dodgers. But the offseason brought unexpected turbulence. What should have been preparation time turned into damage control as tension between Harper and Dave Dombrowski sparked trade rumours that nobody saw coming. With the GM Meetings in Las Vegas now concluded, there has been clarity.

So, what happened? The trouble started with Dave Dombrowski’s assessment of Harper’s 2025 season.  He didn’t mince words and said, “He’s still a quality player. He’s still an All-Star-caliber player, but he didn’t have an elite season like he’s had in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or if he continues to be good.”

And those very comments unlocked the trade rumors. Analysts discussed every word. Philadelphia’s offseason suddenly centered on whether their franchise cornerstone would even be there come spring. And when the slugger heard of it, he was just “really hurt” with all the trade rumours and the things that had been said about him.

Harper’s 2025 numbers help explain why Dombrowski’s words struck a nerve. The former MVP had a full-season OPS of .844, which was the lowest of his career since 2016. He hit .261 with 27 home runs.

On top of that, he missed time because of a wrist problem, which made it hard to overlook the fact that a superstar was under a lot of pressure.

Then came the reset. Scott Boras, Harper’s agent, stepped in to clarify while talking with The Inquirer on Wednesday. Boras was straightforward with his answers.

He said, “I said from the start that John Middleton and Dave Dombrowski want Bryce Harper to finish his career in Philadelphia.”

He pointed to Harper’s decision to skip contract opt-outs as proof of his commitment. “The reason Bryce didn’t take an opt-out in that contract was because he did not want this,” Boras explained.

“He wanted all the players to know, ‘I’m in Philadelphia the rest of my career. Come play with me.'”

Boras left no room for interpretation: “Dave and John have nothing but intentions to have Bryce finish his career in Philadelphia.” The agent’s words provided the public assurance that had been missing since the controversy began. The sentiment aligns with Dombrowski’s comments made just a day earlier.

This time, Dombrowski was more polite in his comments, saying that he had a “good conversation” with Harper after the season finished. The 69-year-old executive stated, “Talked for quite a while, and really, conversations between Bryce and me are between us.” He then added, “I’ve spoken to him. We had a nice conversation, and everything went well.”

With both sides now back on the same page, the rift—once headline fodder—looks to have been smoothed over.

For Bryce Harper and Phillies fans, the challenge now is forward: reclaim elite form.

Resetting the dial. What it will take for Harper to become elite again

Now that everyone seems to be on the same page, the focus should be on areas where the All-Star must work this offseason.

According to the reports, the first thing he must focus on is stopping the chase of bad pitches. Only 43% of the pitches he encountered in 2025 were in the strike zone, which was the lowest percentage of any qualified batter.

He swung at the first pitch 54.1% of the time, which is much higher than his career average of 42.6% and one of the highest in the league. By being picky, he can make pitchers throw better pitches and throw more strikes.

Second, Bryce Harper needs to take advantage of more hittable pitches when they come. He had a .296 average and a .597 anticipated slugging percentage against strikes last year.

That’s good, but it’s nowhere close to his 2021 MVP production, when he hit .346 and had a .765 xSLG when he was in the zone. Also, his slugging percentage on pitches over the heart of the plate dropped from .384/.837 in previous years to .303/.652 in 2025. That margin demonstrates the distinction between extremely good and absolutely elite, and narrowing it will be important.

Third, he needs to “step up in high-leverage moments,” which is how he builds his “elite” reputation. He had a 1.197 OPS with two outs and runners in scoring position from 2019 to 2024, and a 1.153 OPS in the postseason.

These were the best numbers for all qualifying hitters. In 2025? He was only 10-for-58 (.172) with a .575 OPS in those identical situations, and 3-for-15 (.200) with a .600 OPS in the playoffs. Getting back to that explosive, game-changing output will bring back his “elite” reputation.

If Bryce Harper can get better at recognizing his zone, hit the mistakes he sees, and step up when the lights are brightest, the talk about his time with the Phillies will go from rumors to a comeback.