Rob Manfred on spat with Phillies’ Bryce Harper: ‘Not all that significant’
Manfred said "At the end of the meeting, we shook hands and went our separate ways."
CHICAGO — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred on Friday downplayed his confrontation with Phillies star Bryce Harper during a question-and-answer session on July 21 between the commissioner and the team.
“I think more has been made out of this than needs to be made out of it,” Manfred said. “Bryce expressed his views. At the end of the meeting, we shook hands and went our separate ways. Not all that significant.”
In that meeting, Manfred spoke about the media landscape and working together to grow the sport, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. At some point, Harper told Manfred if he was there to talk about a salary cap, he could “get the (expletive) out” of the clubhouse.
» READ MORE: Phillies’ Bryce Harper confronted MLB commissioner Rob Manfred over salary cap talk
Harper on Monday chose not to elaborate on what was said when asked by reporters.
“Everybody saw the words and everything that happened, but I don’t want to say anything more than that,” Harper said. “I want to focus on my teammates, and our union as a whole, and just worry about winning baseball.”
Manfred was in Chicago to announce that Wrigley Field will host the 2027 All-Star Game. Philadelphia hosts the 2026 All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
Baseball’s second-oldest ballpark hasn’t hosted an All-Star Game since 1990. Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg — who died Monday of cancer — won the Home Run Derby that year. Wrigley also hosted All-Star Games in 1947 and 1962.
Manfred, who was joined by Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, cited the “amazing transformation” of the ballpark and surrounding streets in the past decade as part of a massive renovation by the Ricketts family.
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The Cubs first approached the league about hosting an All-Star Game eight years ago. But for a variety of reasons, including competition from other cities and safety concerns with the ballpark in a bustling neighborhood, they weren’t awarded one until now. Chicago cleared a big hurdle in June, when the city passed an ordinance allowing sidewalks along Addison Street to be widened and removable bollards to be installed around the ballpark.
“I think we’re probably overdue in terms of being at Wrigley,” Manfred said. “The Ricketts family, city of Chicago and state of Illinois made a tremendous investment not just in the ballpark but the area around it. I think it’ll be a fantastic venue for our All-Star celebration.”
Wrigley Field is set to join Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium and the old Yankee Stadium as the only ballparks to host four All-Star Games. The city of Chicago will host the event for the eighth time, second only to New York with nine.
Ricketts lived in the neighborhood the last time the Cubs hosted the All-Star Game. But he wasn’t able to attend.
“I didn’t have dough,” he said.
Ricketts figures to have an up-close view this time, assuming the game is played as scheduled. There is some doubt with baseball’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire following the 2026 season, though Manfred expressed confidence the owners and players will avoid a lengthy work stoppage.
Asked about a potential contingency plan if there is a strike or lockout, he said: “My contingency plan is to make an agreement with the players and play the 2027 season.”