MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred might’ve announced the 2027 All-Star Game is heading to historic Wrigley Field, but it was what wasn’t on the press release that had baseball insiders buzzing Friday.
According to ESPN, tensions boiled over last weekend when Manfred walked into the Phillies clubhouse and started talking economics — namely, the idea of a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement. That didn’t sit well with Bryce Harper.
Sources say the superstar outfielder lit into the commissioner, allegedly snapping, “Get the f— out,” in what’s being described as a blunt, profanity-laced showdown. Manfred reportedly tried smoothing things over, with the two shaking hands — but Harper apparently iced him out the next day, refusing to take his calls.
Manfred Trying to Shrug it All Off
“I don’t talk about those player meetings,” he told Front Office Sports. “More has been made out of this than needs to be made out of it. Bryce expressed his views, and at the end of the meeting, we shook hands and went our separate ways. Not all that significant.”
Not significant? Maybe to the league office. But to fans, players, and anyone watching, the looming labor war between millionaire athletes and billionaire owners was a red flag with sirens blaring.
Manfred’s week wasn’t exactly slow: between this clubhouse flare-up and a whirlwind MLB trade deadline that saw major stars on the move, the commissioner is juggling PR fires across the league.
But this one’s personal. Harper, a two-time MVP and face of the league, is going scorched-earth on the commissioner over a salary cap? That’s not just a clubhouse spat — that’s a warning shot ahead of what could be another bitter labor fight when the current CBA expires.
If Manfred thought he could soft-pitch salary reform to the players, Harper just sent one deep into the upper deck.
