Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly voiced his displeasure Wednesday regarding star slugger Bryce Harper's recent comments about the team potentially needing outside help at the trade deadline. Mattingly suggested that such statements imply dissatisfaction with the current roster.
"I don't like it from the fact of what I've been saying, you're saying we don't like our players that are here," Mattingly said before the Phillies faced the Marlins. "I think you're always trying to get better, you should always incrementally try to get better no matter who you are... when you say something about our team, then you're saying something about one of our players that you don't like them."
Harper stated Tuesday after a 1-0 loss in Miami that the Phillies "need some help" and that "anytime you can get some help in here and some reinforcements, it helps." The Phillies' offense has struggled this season, ranking in the bottom half of Major League Baseball in average (24th), on-base percentage (30th), slugging percentage (18th), and OPS (23rd). The team has scored one or no runs six times since the All-Star break, holding a 3-8 record in that stretch.
Mattingly indicated that he believes Harper might be the only player on the team considering such moves, adding that he takes Harper's comments "with kind of a grain of salt." He acknowledged that players often enjoy the role of a general manager but cautioned against commenting without a full understanding of the organization's direction.
Despite Mattingly's preference that Harper refrain from such public pronouncements, the Phillies' front office, led by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, is actively looking to improve the team. The team's pitching staff is considered strong, featuring Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo, but the lineup is largely dependent on Harper and Kyle Schwarber. The challenge for Dombrowski lies in a perceived lack of available impactful bats on the market.
"Dave's been doing this a while. He's never really backed away from trying to get guys," Mattingly said. "We're trying to get better. You know, we're going to try to get better at the deadline."