Bryce Harper reportedly told Rob Manfred to 'get the f*** out of our clubhouse' if he wanted to talk salary cap
Harper reportedly told Manfred to "get the f*** out of our clubhouse" during a contentious team meeting with the commissioner, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Manfred routinely meets with all 30 MLB teams in an attempt to forge and improve relationships with players and clubs.
But that meeting reportedly took a turn when Manfred started talking about the "game's economics," per Passan.
Harper stood up, walked toward the middle of the room, faced up to Manfred and said: "If you want to speak about that, you can get the f— out of our clubhouse."
Manfred, sources said, responded that he was "not going to get the f— out of here," saying it was important to talk about threats to MLB's business and ways to grow the game.
Manfred reportedly never used the term "salary cap," though the idea the league would look to implement one is not farfetched. A salary cap has been at the center of a few MLB-MLBPA labor negotiations over the years. Baseball remains one of the only major sports to not have a salary cap.
The Harper-Manfred situation didn't escalate any further, per Passan. Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos stepped in to ask more questions, which seemed to get the meeting back on track. Harper and Manfred reportedly shook hands after the meeting, but Harper did not answer phone calls from Manfred after the fact, per Passan.
Castellanos confirmed to ESPN the contentious exchange between Harper and Manfred.
"It was pretty intense, definitely passionate," Castellanos told ESPN. "Both of 'em, the commissioner giving it back to Bryce and Bryce giving it back to the commissioner. That's Harp. He's been doing this since he was 15 years old. It's just another day. I wasn't surprised."
Castellanos also discussed why the players were frustrated by Manfred's language and approach. Per Castellanos, Manfred talked about a possible lockout once the current collective-bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 MLB season.
Castellanos took issue with that term being thrown around years before the CBA expires, per ESPN.
"That's nothing to throw around. That's the same thing as me saying in a marriage, 'I think divorce is a possibility. It's probably going to happen.' You don't just say those things."
While there's still plenty of time before the CBA expires, both sides appear to be ready for another contentious round of negotiations. While Manfred reportedly brought up the word "lockout," Castellanos took a different view of the situation, saying any work stoppage is bad for the game.
"Nobody wants a work stoppage in baseball," he continued. "Not the players, not the league."
Avoiding a work stoppage ahead of the 2027 MLB season could present a challenge. Negotiations were not smooth the last time the CBA expired, leading to a 99-day lockout in 2022. Both sides eventually agreed to a five-year deal, but the MLB season started late due to the extended negotiations.
In March, MLBPA director Tony Clark said the players already expect to be locked out once the current CBA ends.
If the owners take that step and then try to introduce a salary cap ahead of 2027, that could present a significant issue for the players. Given his reported reaction to Manfred, Harper will almost certainly be a major voice within the union if that's the path the owners take.
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