The Philadelphia Phillies remain one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ biggest challengers in the National League. The Dodgers eliminated them in last year’s NLDS, and the Phillies are once again in the playoff race with a 60-53 record, good for second place in the NL East. But the Dodgers know their goal is a three-peat, and to make that happen, they acquired Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline. They have faced immense criticism ever since. Naturally, Bryce Harper had every opportunity to echo the complaints about the league’s competitive balance as well, but the Phillies star offered a very different perspective.

“They’re a great organization. They know what it takes to win. A lot of teams could have done what they did,” Harper said, as per Dave Uram from SportsRadio 94WIP on X. “That’s not a money move. It’s a prospect move.”

The 9x All-Star argued that several MLB teams had the prospect capital to make that trade. Notably, the Milwaukee Brewers have one of baseball’s top farm systems and were linked to Skubal before the Dodgers finalized the deal. In fact, teams such as the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and even the Tampa Bay Rays were also reported in the mix. That’s why Harper admitted that the Dodgers were already a good team but became even better by acquiring the 2x Cy Young Award winner.

“It’s just what it is, so just gotta keep moving, keep plugging,” he added. 

Fans and rival executives around MLB have been quite vocal against the Dodgers’ recent move. They argue that the reigning champions are using their deep pockets to win back-to-back World Series by signing all the stars and disrupting the competitiveness of the sport. Some even argued that the more than $200 million payroll disparity between the Dodgers and some small-market teams is why MLB needs a salary cap.

Meanwhile, insiders like Ken Rosenthal and Fernando Álvarez opposed the idea. They mentioned that the Dodgers are just executing the same baseball operations as any other team, but they are just doing it better with more conviction, and Bryce Harper echoed the same perspective instead of joining the bandwagon. 

Even Tarik Skubal himself defended his current team, saying, “I really don’t sympathize with people who are complaining because the Dodgers do all the right things.”

While that’s that, the Phillies haven’t been sitting on their hands during the trade deadline either. They acquired three-time batting champion Luis Arraez and right-hander Caleb Kilian from San Francisco. In turn, the Giants received RHPs Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair. They also swapped OF John Spikerman and RHP Luke Gabrysh with lefty Brooks Raley from the New York Mets. 

Bryce Harper, who plays first base in Philadelphia, agreed to move to the outfield to make room for Arraez. 

“I think any chance that [gives us] an opportunity to win, I’d do anything for this organization. And they know that,” the 33-year-old said. 

Harper had previously expressed to Mookie Betts on a talk show that his “window is closing,” and before he eventually hangs up his boots, he wants to win a ring. That’s why he recognizes the Dodgers’ trade as a winning move instead of lopsided dominance. And coming from one of the most respected players in the sport, that adds some weight to the debate.