MLB Notebook: Phillies superstar Bryce Harper ‘hurt’ by trade speculation, Red Sox ‘love’ Kyle Schwarber, Varitek back in the mix, and a look around the league

Phillies superstar Bryce Harper was “really hurt” by comments made by president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, questioning whether he could be an elite player again.

In his season wrap-up press conference with the media this month, Dombrowski described Harper’s 2025 season as something less than “an elite season like he has had in the past,” while expressing doubt about whether or not his first baseman could be an MVP-caliber player in the future.

“Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer,” Dombrowski said. “And really, he’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else; that’s what it comes down to. I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had, and again, it wasn’t a bad year.

“But when I think of Bryce Harper, you’re thinking elite, right? You’re thinking one of the top-10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it fit into that category. But again, very good player.”

Harper, 33, hit .261 with an .844 OPS (his lowest since 2016) and went just 3-for-15 with no RBIs in the four games against the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dombrowski’s comments reportedly “pissed off” Harper, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

"It's disappointing to hear me being questioned about my contribution to the team," Harper told The Athletic. "Just really hurt by that notion because I love Philly so much.

"From changing positions to coming back early from injury, I show total commitment for my team. And yet there is still trade talk."

Dombrowski has said he does not plan on trading Harper this winter. The corner infielder has six years and roughly $153 million remaining on the 13-year deal that brought him from the Nationals to the Phillies after the 2018 season. Harper missed about a month of this season with a wrist injury.

While Dombrowski isn’t planning on trading Harper, he might quietly entertain moving him, with the club having to deal with trying to bring back impending free agents J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber.

If the Phillies wanted to move Harper, they would need for the veteran to waive his 10-and-5 rights, which allow him a full no-trade clause.

“This thing's got a life of its own,” Dombrowski said on “Foul Territory. 

“Now I’ve been reading that, ‘Oh, the Phillies may trade Bryce Harper.’ That couldn’t be further from the truth. We love him. We think he’s a great player. He’s a very important part of our team. I’ve seen him have better years. I look for him to have better years.”

RED SOX ‘LOVE’ SCHWARBER

Speaking of Schwarber, the former Red Sox slugger appears to be a top priority for Craig Breslow this offseason.

According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Boston “loves” Schwarber and is expected to express “real interest” in the power hitter if he does not return back to Philadelphia.

Schwarber, who will turn 33 this March, will be a free agent at the completion of the World Series. He is one of the top hitters on the open market after a massive season where he led the National League in home runs (56) and RBIs (132) while posting a .240 batting average and a .928 OPS in 2025.

The Sox need a big bat in the middle of their lineup, especially after trading Rafael Devers to the Giants this past season.

It’s hard to imagine that Dombrowski will let Schwarber walk in free agency. He has become one of the most exciting power bats in all of baseball.

"It doesn't feel good, you know? You just make a lot of different relationships in the clubhouse,” Schwarber said to the media following their series loss to the Dodgers. “You never know how it's gonna work out, right? You just make so many personal relationships with guys, and you spend how much time with these guys throughout the course of the year? And they become family. And you just never know how it's gonna go.

“But these guys all know how I feel about them. I've got a lot of respect for the guys in here, our organization, the coaching staff, and everyone from top to bottom. This is a premier organization, and a lot of people should feel very lucky that one night you're playing for a team that is trying to win every single year.

“And you have a fan base that cares, and you have ownership that cares, and you have coaches that care. You have everyone in the room that cares. There's no other reason: We're all about winning. And it's a great thing. I think that's why it hurts just as much as any other year.”

Boston made the decision to let Schwarber walk in free agency following the 2021 season, which was a massive blunder for Chaim Bloom’s front office. Schwarber left the Sox and signed a four-year, $79 million bargain with the Phillies. Over the last four seasons in Philly, Schwarber has clubbed 187 home runs and driven in 434 RBI.

The Red Sox have to deal with Alex Bregman’s contract, but are in a prime spot to possibly sign both players to deals this offseason. The one drawback to both players is their age, but Schwarber will slot in at DH, whereas Bregman will be at third base.

The Yankees, Dodgers, and Mariners were at the top of the league in clubbing homers this season and all made it to at least the Divisional Series—with the Mariners losing in the ALCS and the Dodgers battling with the Blue Jays in the World Series.

ALEX CORA’S COACHING STAFF

It looks like Jason Varitek will be sticking around a little longer in Boston. The Sox and Varitek are finalizing a new multi-year contract, which will keep the former captain part of the team’s coaching staff, according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam.

Varitek has been the club's game planning and run prevention coach while also serving as the game-planning coordinator in the past. He just completed a three-year deal, which he signed back at the end of the 2022 regular season. Since his retirement, Varitek has been a constant presence in the Sox’ organization, serving in a hybrid role between the front office and coaching staff as a special assistant from 2012 to 2020 before joining the coaching staff full-time, back in 2021.

Varitek has interviewed for managerial vacancies before, including in 2015 with the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants back in October 2023. The Giants went on to hire University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as their manager on Wednesday for his first job in professional baseball.

With Varitek back in the fold, the entire coaching staff for next season will return with the exception of assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal, who was let go after the season. Boston will replace him with John Soteropulos, who had worked as the Red Sox’ minor league hitting coordinator.

Soteropulos and Dillion Lawson will serve as the assistant hitting coaches on Pete Fatse’s staff. The 32-year-old previously worked for Driveline Baseball as a business associate and hitting trainer from 2019 to 2023.

MORE ON VITELLO

Vitello becomes the 40th manager in Giants’ team history and will receive a three-year contract that will pay him $3.5 million annually with a vesting option for 2029.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in the press release. “Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. … We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made as we focus on the future of Giants baseball.”

Vitello guided the Volunteers to regular success in the Southeastern Conference since being hired in June 2017. That included leading the program to its first NCAA title last year to go with six regional appearances, five NCAA super regional berths, and three College World Series trips.

The Giants have four ex-Tennessee players in Drew Gilbert, Blade Tidwell, Maui Ahuna, and 2025 first-round pick Gavin Kilen within their organization.

Vitello is the first managerial hire for Posey since he took over the Giants' front office. Bob Melvin was a holdover from Farhan Zaidi’s time and was let go following this season.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

- The Angels hired former big league catcher Kurt Suzuki as their next manager. He will get just a one-year deal after serving as a special assistant in the Angels' front office. Albert Pujols emerged as the initial candidate for the job and was seen as the favorite, but ultimately wasn’t the dugout leader the club wanted to move forward with.

Longtime Angels outfielder Tori Hunter was another candidate for Los Angeles’ vacancy, as well as former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, and Halos’ own third base coach Bo Porter.

Suzuki has no experience managing or coaching at the major league or minor league levels.  Since his retirement following the 2022 season, he has moved into his role as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian. 

- Red Sox bench coach Ramón Vázquez is likely staying with the club after interviewing for the Twins managerial opening in recent weeks. He has reportedly been eliminated from consideration before the final round. Still in the running are ex-Pirates manager Derek Shelton, Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, ex-Mariners manager Scott Servais, and Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty.

Boston granted Vázquez permission to interview with Minnesota after dismissing Baldelli in mid-October. There are still six openings—in San Diego, Minnesota, Atlanta, Colorado, Washington, and Baltimore.

Vázquez, 49, has been on Cora’s staff for eight seasons and spent the last three as bench coach.

- The Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) will post corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto to MLB this offseason. The 29-year-old will be the first position player to be posted in Giants history and is coming off a year in Japan where he hit .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs, 49 runs batted in, and a wRC+ of 210.

Okamoto could be a target for the Red Sox, who ranked 27th in baseball in fWAR out of first basemen (-0.8) and ranked 26th with an 86 wRC+ between Triston Casas, Romy Gonzalez, Abraham Toro, Nick Sogard, and Nathaniel Lowe.

The Japanese slugger would fit into the middle of the Sox’ order and be an insurance plan if Schwarber heads back to the City of Brotherly Love.

- Blue Jays’ Addison Barger launched a first pinch-hit grand slam during Game 1 of the World Series, which was the first in Fall Classic history. 

“I couldn’t even feel my legs,” Barger said. “I just kind of blacked out.”

- Former Blue Jays icon Joe Carter wore Toronto’s home run jacket, then touched them all in a parade of dugout high-fives. The hero of Toronto’s 1993 World Series triumph threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night, bouncing his throw to Bo Bichette.

- Major League Baseball and the decision makers of the 2028 summer Olympics in Los Angeles are making progress on a schedule that could allow big leaguers to play in the games, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Saturday.

“We have made a lot of progress with LA 2028 in terms of the calendar,” Manfred said. “Right now we’re in discussions with the Players Association about that set of issues.”