The Phillies’ 2025 season was barely cold when general manager Dave Dombrowski uttered the quote that has defined Philadelphia's offseason.
"In [first baseman Bryce Harper's] case, of course he's still a quality player. He's still an All-Star-caliber player. He didn't have an elite season like he has had in the past,” Dombrowski said on Oct. 16. “I guess we only find out if he becomes elite [again] or he continues to be good.”
The quote may have contained a grain of truth, and Dombrowski insisted he meant no slight to Harper, but it still scanned as an indelicate comment toward a franchise cornerstone—especially with the Phillies still shaking off a heartbreaking ending to ’25.
On Saturday, Harper appeared to respond in cryptic fashion—donning a "Not Elite" t-shirt in a social-media post.
“Not elite”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 27, 2025
Phillies superstar Bryce Harper posted a video working out with a shirt that says “Not Elite”
Phils President Dave Dombrowski said that he did not know if Bryce Harper was elite anymore. Bryce has an edge!
Dave Dombrowski said he does not know if Bryce Harper can… pic.twitter.com/6YbDMRa7RS
Harper slashed .261/.357/.487 in '25 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs—a slight across-the-board decline from his sixth-place finish in the National League MVP voting in 2024. That was just the third top-10 MVP finish of his career, though he has made eight All-Star teams to go with his 2015 and 2021 MVP wins.
Philadelphia—under the microscope as it prepares to host the All-Star Game amid America's semiquincentennial—is scheduled to open its season on March 26 against the Rangers. Harper, for his part, is under contract through the 2031 season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryce Harper Appears to Shade Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski With T-Shirt.
