Scott Boras Fires Back at Phillies, Downplays Bryce Harper Trade Speculation

Bryce Harper’s future with the Philadelphia Phillies has unexpectedly become a hot topic this offseason, as subtle tension between Harper’s camp and team leadership has sparked waves of speculation.

It began when Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski remarked that Harper “hasn’t quite been playing at his past elite level.” Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, quickly came to his client’s defense, offering a detailed statistical rebuttal.

“I agree that (Harper) missed time due to injury and that his volume was down, but other than that, Bryce Harper is performing at an elite level on a number of characteristics that we keep track of,” Boras said. “When you look into expected baseball stats – Harper is pretty much on par with his career averages. He’s surrounded by (Kyle) Tucker, (Fernando) Tatis Jr.), (Bobby) Witt Jr.), and (Rafael) Devers. His barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and exit velocity are all in the top of MLB.”

Still, Boras tried to calm the storm, adding, “I don’t think Dave (Dombrowski) or John (Middleton) or anybody is contemplating Bryce Harper not being a Philadelphia Phillie for the rest of his career.”

Yet, MLB insider Joel Sherman’s recent comment on The Pinstripe Post — “Would I be 100% shocked if Bryce Harper got traded this offseason? No.” — has kept the rumor mill turning.

And Harper’s production hardly shows decline:

• In Washington: 7 seasons, 27.7 WAR, .279/.388/.512, 184 HR, 521 RBI, 75 SB
• In Philadelphia: 7 seasons, 26.4 WAR, .281/.386/.526, 179 HR, 530 RBI, 77 SB

So while Boras insists Harper isn’t going anywhere, the tension — and the talk — isn’t going away.