The Phillies may be willing to listen on some familiar names this offseason, but Bryce Harper doesn’t appear to be one of them.
That was the latest word after a week of speculation out of the General Manager Meetings, where the buzz around Philadelphia centered on Dave Dombrowski and the club’s openness to trade offers for Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh. Whether either player actually draws serious interest is another question entirely, especially in Turner’s case, with his disappointing 2026 season and hefty contract making a move look especially unlikely. Still, the message was clear: the Phillies are ready to make changes after missing the NLDS for the first time since 2021.
That naturally opened the door to more dramatic chatter, including the possibility that Harper could somehow be available. Ken Rosenthal added fuel to that idea by suggesting the two-time MVP would be willing to waive his no-trade clause if another team agreed to extend his current contract. It’s a long shot, though, given that Harper is already under contract through 2031, when he’ll be 39 years old.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today poured cold water on the rumor mill, saying that “Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are staying put.”
And that makes sense. Harper’s deal is large, with roughly $125 million owed over the next five seasons, and he also holds a full no-trade clause. There was even mention that he may have just bought a new house.
But unlike Turner, Harper hasn’t really given the Phillies much reason to think about moving on. His defense is still rough, and he’s no longer in the MVP conversation, yet he just turned in his seventh straight season with a 130 wRC+ or better. He led the Phillies in that category with a 135, finished second on the team with 29 home runs, third with 87 RBIs, and fifth with a 3.3 fWAR.
After all the debate over whether he’s still “elite” - a discussion Dombrowski himself kicked up - Harper keeps answering with his bat. He may not be able to carry an offense the way he did in his prime, but he still makes a top-heavy Phillies lineup better every time he’s in it.
There’s plenty left for Dombrowski and the front office to sort through in the coming weeks, but for now, Harper looks like a lock to stay in Philadelphia.
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