Bryce Harper said the Philadelphia Phillies will look different next season, telling reporters that changes are coming after the franchise's third straight postseason elimination.
The Phillies were knocked out of the playoffs for the third consecutive October, a stretch that has now produced zero World Series appearances despite a roster built around Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and a payroll that has ranked among the largest in Major League Baseball.
Harper, the two-time National League MVP who signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia in 2019, did not specify which players or coaches he expected to be moved. But his comments put pressure on president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson to deliver a deeper run in 2026.
Philadelphia has reached the postseason in four straight seasons, a run that began with a National League pennant in 2022. The Phillies fell to the Houston Astros in that World Series, then lost in the NL Championship Series to Arizona in 2023 and were eliminated in the NL Division Series in each of the past two seasons.
The core of the roster skews older. Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Zack Wheeler are all in their 30s, and the Phillies owe Harper, Turner and Wheeler a combined nine figures in guaranteed money beyond 2026. That combination limits how aggressively the front office can reshape the roster through free agency without crossing luxury-tax thresholds.
Harper, who turns 33 in October, hit .285 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs during the 2025 regular season while battling wrist and elbow issues. He has repeatedly said he wants to win in Philadelphia, and his contract runs through 2031.
Dombrowski, who built championship rosters in Florida and Boston before joining the Phillies in 2020, has not publicly outlined his offseason plan. Thomson is under contract through 2026 after the club picked up his option earlier this year.
The Phillies drew more than 3.3 million fans to Citizens Bank Park in 2025, the highest attendance in the National League, and ownership has shown a willingness to spend past the competitive balance tax. That spending has yet to produce a parade down Broad Street since 2008.
Harper's remarks came during the club's end-of-season media availability, days after Philadelphia's final game. He did not announce any personal decision about his future with the team.
