Phillies star Bryce Harper ‘hurt’ by ongoing trade rumors

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s recent comments about Bryce Harper continue to have unexpected consequences.

Dombrowski curiously wondered aloud whether Harper can return to being an elite player after having an average season by his standards. Harper spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals before signing a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies, but Dombrowski’s comments have fueled trade rumors for the star.

Harper, an eight-time All-Star and two-time MVP, told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb he’s hurt by all the trade speculation that has come from Dombrowski’s comments.

“I have given my all to Philly from the start,” Harper told Gelb Saturday. “Now there is trade talk? I made every effort to avoid this. It’s all I heard in D.C. (with the Nationals). I hated it. It makes me feel uncomfortable. All players get hurt. I hurt my wrist this year and missed a month. Of course I don’t have full-year numbers. It’s disappointing to hear me being questioned about my contribution to the team.

“Just really hurt by that notion because I love Philly so much. I wanted these fans to know Philly is my home, so from the start, I made the commitment to stay here for the rest of my career. No opt-out, even though I was advised otherwise. I trust John. From changing positions to coming back early from injury, I show total commitment for my team. And yet there is still trade talk.”

Harper slashed .261/.357/.487 this season with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs in 132 games. Though he didn’t have one of the best seasons of his career, he remains a star player. The Phillies clearly have work to do this offseason after falling short in the NLCS, but restoring the relationship with Harper and emphasizing how false the rumors are needs to be a top priority.

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