Bryce Harper is embodying the Fightin’ Phils spirit in more ways than one.
The Philadelphia Phillies superstar first baseman reportedly got into MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s face and told him to “get the f— out of our clubhouse” at the potential for Manfred to address the Phillies — and MLB Players Association — about implementing a hard salary cap.
The MLB-MLBPA collective-bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 MLB season, and MLB owners are likely to lock out the players and hold out for a hard salary cap — something the MLB players association has rejected for decades.
So even though CBA negotiations are still more than a year away from beginning, Harper has already started the fight.
Why Did Bryce Harper Confront Rob Manfred?
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Manfred was in the Phillies clubhouse last week as part of his tour of the 30 team cities to address issues in the game. While in Philadelphia, Manfred reportedly brought up the economic issues, which is what irritated Harper.
“Quiet for the majority of the meeting, Harper, sitting in a chair and holding a bat, eventually grew frustrated and said if MLB were to propose a cap and hold firm to it, players ‘are not scared to lose 162 games,’ sources from the meeting told ESPN,” Passan reported. “Harper stood up, walked toward the middle of the room, faced up to Manfred and said: ‘If you want to speak about that, you can get the f— out of our clubhouse.'”
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos reportedly diffused the situation by asking Manfred more questions. He later spoke directly to ESPN about the confrontation.
“It was pretty intense, definitely passionate,” Castellanos told ESPN. “Both of ’em. The commissioner giving it back to Bryce and Bryce giving it back to the commissioner. That’s Harp. He’s been doing this since he was 15 years old. It’s just another day. I wasn’t surprised.”
Why Are The Players Opposed To A Salary Cap?
MLB owners have been lobbying for a salary cap — in lieu of the current economic model, which is a luxury tax with compounding penalties for exceeding the predetermined dollar amount.
Yet, unlike the NHL and NFL, the MLBPA has been successful at keeping the cap at bay. A potential salary cap was the cause of the infamous 1994 MLB player’s strike, which cost MLB the World Series, and even though there has been a labor-imposed work stoppage since (in 2022), MLBPA warded off a hard cap again.
“Rob seems to be in a pretty desperate place on how important it is to get this salary cap because he’s floating the word ‘lockout’ two years in advance of our collective bargaining agreement [expiration],” Castellanos said. “That’s nothing to throw around. That’s the same thing as me saying in a marriage, ‘I think divorce is a possibility. It’s probably going to happen.’ You don’t just say those things.”
The MLBPA has called a salary cap “institutionalized collusion,” which allows the owners to set markets lower than the standard.
But according to Castellanos, the players are just trying to stay educated.
“We don’t really know that much about it,” Castellanos said. “It’s not like somebody is teaching us about this conglomerate of Major League Baseball that we, the players, make up, make possible. There’s no players, there’s no Major League Baseball. I don’t believe Rob Manfred is evil. I don’t believe the owners are evil. I don’t believe any of that.
“Nobody wants a work stoppage in baseball. Not the players, not the league.”
Phillies Star Confronts MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred About Potential Salary Cap