Before the trade deadline, Bryce Harper did not mince his words about the Philadelphia Phillies needing roster reinforcements. With Don Mattingly calling him out for saying so, rumors of a rift between Harper and the Phillies’ front office have been floating around. Now, within a week of acquiring Luis Arráez, the Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations has come forward to share his take on the issue.

“I talked to Bryce after that. I talked to him on Saturday. He said, ‘I didn’t mean it, that wasn’t a personal comment. I just felt we needed help.’ I get it,” Dave Dombrowski said to Doug Glanville and Jayson Stark on The Athletic’s Starkville podcast.

“And I’ve encouraged Bryce, and believe me, Bryce and a couple of other players in our club at times. What’s really different is they’ve texted me with their ideas at times. I’m glad that they’re engaged, and you have to remember, from a leadership perspective, you always can say no.”

The Phillies needed a right-handed bat, bullpen help, and starting pitching help to push for a deep postseason run. Harper stirred the pot when he pointed that out after a tough loss to the Miami Marlins.

“I think we need some help. I think we’ve proved pretty much all year we’ve done a pretty good job, but any time you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps,” he told the reporters.

Mattingly was not pleased with Harper’s blunt admission. He felt those remarks might indicate that the existing players are not capable enough. The interim manager feared it could dampen the clubhouse spirit and told the reporters that players should stop trying to become GMs and leave the front office to build rosters.

However, the drama between Harper and Mattingly did not overshadow the Phillies’ trade deadline needs, and Dombrowski had moves to make. But before acquiring new players, he had ‘the talk’ with the veteran player. When Harper clarified that his remarks were not an attack on Dombrowski, it cleared up any lingering tension.

The relationship between Dombrowski and Harper has been tense since last season. When the president of baseball operations called Harper “not elite” because of his struggles at the plate, it created a rift between the two. But it seems like the tension has finally dissolved, as the two worked together to acquire Arraez.

On the podcast, Dombrowski clarified that emotional players sometimes say things that the front office may not like. He understood that Harper had no ill intentions; he was simply making an observation.

The 70-year-old also claimed that Harper texted him about bringing in Luis Arraez. The veteran 1B also assured that he is willing to move to the outfield if it meant the Phillies would have a shot at winning.

“I’ve said in years past, I know everybody thinks it’s crap when I say it, but it’s not. I think any chance that we have an opportunity to win, I’d do anything for this organization, and they know that,” Harper told NBCS Philly.

However, Dombrowski paid heed to Harper’s claims. During the trade deadline, he addressed those needs to some extent. The Phillies acquired Brooks Raley from the New York Mets and Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants. But the addition of Arraez headlined the Phillies’ trade deadline moves.

To accommodate him, the Phillies underwent a roster shuffle. Bryce Harper moved from first base to right field, Bryson Stott went to third, and Alec Bohm became the new first baseman. With Arraez scheduled to become a free agent after this season, it’s a temporary change. But the alterations have paid off.

In five games, the new second baseman is slashing .333/.348/.571 with a .919 OPS. However, Arraez’s time in Philadelphia will likely be short, as he is under a 1-year, $12 million contract. Unless the Phillies front office signs him during his free agency, his time in Philadelphia will end at the end of the season.

Till then, the Phillies will see how a trade deadline addition driven by Harper and Dombrowski’s joint interests performs.