On Friday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred downplayed his recent confrontation with Phillies star Bryce Harper, who reportedly told him to “get the f— out of our clubhouse” if he was going to speak about a salary cap. Manfred visited the Phillies last month as part of his annual tour in which he meets with all 30 teams in an attempt to foster a productive relationship with the players.
Here’s what Manfred said about his confrontation with Harper, via ESPN:
“I think more has been made out of this than needs to be made out of it,” Manfred said on Friday morning. “Bryce expressed his views. At the end of the meeting, we shook hands and went our separate ways. Not all that significant.”
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“It was an individual picking a particular way to express himself and I don’t think you need to make more out of it than that,” Manfred responded.
Manfred recently boasted about using his annual meetings with players to discuss the sport’s economics, specifically highlighting the salary discrepancy between the sport’s highest paid players and those making the league minimum. Doing so is a clear tactic intended to drive a wedge into the player ranks, potentially creating discord and support for a salary cap.
The MLB Players Association has long rejected a hard salary cap and will do so again this time around. The question is whether the owners intend to dig in and hold the line, and potentially sacrifice games. MLB has not lost games to a work stoppage since the 1994-95 players’ strike. Manfred has already said he anticipates another lockout.
The current collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026. Several owners, including new Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein, have spoken publicly about the desire for a salary cap. MLB’s revenues reached a record $12.1 billion in 2025, which represents a 33% increase over the last 10 years. During that time, the average player salary has increased 18%.
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