Last year, Dave Dombrowski tried to take Bryce Harper down a peg by publicly questioning whether the player could return to the elite ranks. So the question I'm asking myself is: Is it a coincidence that, on the heels of his rough July, the Phillies publicly criticized him again? For those who may have missed it, Harper publicly stated that he wanted the Phillies to make improvements by the trade deadline. “I think we need some help”—Bryce Harper pic.twitter.com/EAYzlkpnEV — Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) July 29, 2026And in Philly, that didn't go over well. Don Mattingly spoke at length about Bryce Harper's comments after last night's game.