During a time in American history when so many people seem to thrive on conspiracy theories, it’s only fitting that a new one might be brewing in baseball — and it centers on the Philadelphia Phillies.
There’s a growing belief that something drastic could be underfoot in Philadelphia, that the organization may finally be ready to shake loose a roster that has been both wildly successful and maddeningly predictable. Since 2022, the Phillies have enjoyed one of the most impressive sustained runs in the sport, posting a combined regular-season record of 368–280. And after a decade spent planning golf trips for October, they’ve made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons.
The 2025 team may have been their most complete yet. They went 96–66, captured a second straight NL East title, and finished 13 games ahead of the Mets. Led by the familiar core — Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler — the Phillies even made a little history, becoming the first National League team ever to increase its regular-season win total in seven consecutive full seasons.
And yet, the deeper the numbers go, the shallower the results have become. The October arc has bent backward — from a World Series berth in 2022, to a Game 7 loss in the NLCS, to back-to-back Division Series exits. The trend line points in the wrong direction, and everyone in Philadelphia knows it.
Phillies Expected to Make Big Changes; Trading Bryce Harper Would Certainly Qualify
At some point, coming back with the same cast and expecting a different ending starts to look less like belief and more like denial — or, as some might say, the very definition of insanity. But with the offseason looming, changes are likely on the horizon.
Exactly what those changes could be, however, is yet to be determined. And therein lies the potential for unexpected happenings.
Namely, a trade of Harper.
A future Hall of Famer, Harper has arguably been the face of the Phillies franchise for seven seasons, following the 2019 signing of a 13-year, $330 million contract. But that face took a punch during the end-of-season press conference by Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, who raised a few eyebrows with a statement that seemed to question Harper’s status among baseball’s greats.
“He’s still a quality player,” Dombrowski said. “He’s still an All-Star-caliber player. He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good.”
Since then, the rumors have run wild over the possibility that Harper could be playing for a different team next season. While Dombrowski was quick to dispel those rumors – “That couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said on Foul Territory – the seed was planted.
MLB Analyst Suggests Trading Bryce Harper Would Enable Pursuit of Kyle Tucker
It will be interesting to see what grows from all of this, and with reports of Harper understandably “pissed off” by Dombrowski’s comments, the talk of a potential trade will only increase. Which had Kris Drew of the Fireside Yankees podcast wondering if the Phillies front office wanted this scenario all along.
“I know the Phillies are going to make a run or going to at least show a lot of interest in Kyle Tucker from kind of what I’ve been told,” Drew said. “Is this going to be a case where, ‘OK, if we trade for Bryce Harper and take a good amount of that money, is it going to open up the door for them to spend more on the guy who we really wanted, the actual prize?’”
Tucker is predicted to be the top free agent signed this winter, with recent speculation by Bleacher Report suggesting he could receive a 10-year deal for $350 million. The Phillies are among a handful of teams seen as “a good fit” for the 28-year-old outfielder.
Removing Harper’s contract from the books would make it an even easier fit.
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