Phillies Eye Bryce Harper Move After ‘Not Elite’ Label

The Philadelphia Phillies are making MLB news this week, as management is openly considering a change that once felt unthinkable in Philadelphia. Bryce Harper might not be the automatic No. 3 hitter in 2026.

Manager Rob Thomson acknowledged this week that he’s actively toying with the idea of flipping Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the batting order, a shift that would move Harper out of the three-hole he’s occupied for most of his career.

Speaking at the team’s Hot Stove media session, Thomson said he already has “some ideas” and made it clear those ideas include moving Harper down — or at least around — in the order, Marcus Hayes of the Inquirer reported.

“I’ve got to talk to the players about it,” Thomson said, “but you could see a change this year, flipping those guys around a little bit.” When he was later asked directly if that change could involve Harper no longer hitting third, Thomson’s answer was simple: yes.​

That’s not just a lineup tweak. It’s the latest ripple from an “elite” debate that’s been simmering for months.

MLB News – Philadelphia Phillies Could Move Bryce Harper in 2026

This story really started back in October, when Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tried to thread a needle in his postseason press conference and jabbed Harper’s 2025 production in the process.

Dombrowski called Harper a “quality player” but said the slugger didn’t “have an elite season like he has had in the past,” according to MLB.com and Newsweek. The context was fair — Harper’s 2025 numbers were down — but the phrasing landed like a brick.

Harper later told The Athletic he was “hurt” by the comments and the narrative that followed, which included external speculation that the Phillies might eventually be better off moving on from him. Dombrowski said in November that he and Harper had a “good conversation” and that he believed everything was fine between them, but Harper’s next move suggested the issue wasn’t completely buried.

In December, Harper posted a TikTok video of himself taking swings in a batting cage while wearing a sweatshirt that read “NOT ELITE,” a not-at-all subtle reference to Dombrowski’s October description. Multiple outlets, including On Pattison and Bleacher Report, confirmed the authenticity of the clip and the timing.

So, yes, everyone might be “fine” on paper, but the tension hasn’t exactly vanished.

Harper’s Production Drop is Real

Strip the emotion away, and the baseball piece of this is pretty straightforward. Harper didn’t have a vintage season in 2025 by his own standards.

Across 132 games, Harper hit .261 with a .357 on-base percentage and .487 slugging, giving him an .844 OPS — his lowest mark since 2016 and more than 50 points below the .911 OPS he carried into 2025 as a career baseline. His OPS+ checked in at 129, also his lowest since 2019.

He still produced: 27 home runs, 75 RBIs, and strong walk rates kept him comfortably above league average. But for a player used to living in the MVP tier, it was clearly a step back.

There’s context, too. Harper dealt with a lingering wrist issue that required an injured-list stint in early June, the same wrist that had bothered him in 2024.

According to MLB.com and The Athletic, he played through recurring discomfort for stretches and saw a career-high share of breaking balls — roughly 41% of his pitches faced — as opponents leaned into a game plan built to exploit that vulnerability.

It all adds up to Dombrowski being technically right about the year not being “elite,” even if his delivery touched a nerve.

With Harper, 33 years old, coming off a down season by his standards, motivated by World Baseball Classic reps, and clearly aware of how he’s being publicly labeled, the idea of a “Harper move” in 2026 doesn’t necessarily mean a trade or a demotion.

It likely means Thomson giving himself full freedom to slide his superstar up or down the card as performance dictates, feelings aside.

Justin Carlucci brings 13+ years of journalism experience to Heavy. A veteran of multiple industry-leading companies, he has hosted SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio shows and contributed to the New York Post, combining traditional sports and news reporting with expertise in sports betting and fantasy sports. More about Justin Carlucci