Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper told MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to “get the f*ck out” of the team’s clubhouse final week throughout a gathering meant to handle the league doubtlessly implementing a wage cap, in response to sources that spoke to ESPN right now.
The altercation occurred throughout one of many Commissioner’s deliberate conferences with all 30 MLB groups. Though Manfred by no means used the time period “wage cap,” the dialog relating to the league’s economics provoked Bryce Harper.
Sources who attended the assembly informed ESPN that Harper, who remained silent for many of the session, mentioned that the gamers “are usually not scared to lose 162 video games,” that means MLB gamers can be keen to stage a strike like they did from April of 1994 to April of 1995. Harper then stood nose-to-nose with Manfred earlier than telling him, “If you need to talk about that, you may get the f*ck out of our clubhouse.” Manfred replied he was “not going to get the f*ck out of right here,” explaining that you will need to discuss in regards to the financial well being of the league.
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos was capable of defuse the scenario by saying, “I’ve extra questions,” which broke up the confrontation. The assembly continued, ultimately ending with Bryce Harper and Manfred shaking arms. However, Harper refused to just accept any of the commissioner’s cellphone calls the next day.
“It was fairly intense, undoubtedly passionate,” Castellanos mentioned. “Both of ’em. The commissioner giving it again to Bryce, and Bryce giving it again to the commissioner. That’s Harp. He’s been doing this since he was 15 years previous. It’s simply one other day. I wasn’t shocked.”
Both Harper and a spokesperson for Rob Manfred declined to remark when reached out to by ESPN.
“Rob appears to be in a fairly determined place on how essential it’s to get this wage cap as a result of he’s floating the phrase ‘lockout’ two years upfront of our collective bargaining settlement [expiration],” Castellanos mentioned. “That’s nothing to throw round. That’s the identical factor as me saying in a wedding, ‘I feel divorce is a chance. It’s in all probability going to occur.’ You don’t simply say these issues.”
Major League Baseball wants to barter a brand new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the gamers for the 2026 season. The current CBA is set to expire at midnight on December 2nd, 2026.
“It’s not like any person is educating us about this conglomerate of Major League Baseball that we, the gamers, make up, make potential,” Castellanos continued. “There’s no gamers, there’s no Major League Baseball. I don’t consider Rob Manfred is evil. I don’t consider the house owners are evil. I don’t consider any of that. Nobody needs a piece stoppage in baseball. Not the gamers, not the league.”
