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By Peter Chawaga
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Philadelphia Phillies made headlines with some blockbuster additions before the trade deadline this week, but a recent off-field incident might have garnered more attention.
Phillies franchise star Bryce Harper made headlines when news surfaced that he confronted Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred during a visit to his team's clubhouse. Manfred was visiting as part of his informal rounds to each team and when he started discussing the potential of adding a salary cap to team payrolls, Harper reportedly became disgruntled.
"While in the Phillies' clubhouse last month, Harper confronted Manfred regarding the potential for a salary cap as the league and the MLBPA get set to negotiate a new deal," Jesse Rogers reported for ESPN. "'Get the (expletive) out of our clubhouse,' Harper told Manfred if a salary cap is what he wanted to talk about."
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Harper was speaking for many players who feel that a salary cap would ultimately harm their potential earnings to the benefit of team owners. The issue is so contentious that it could lead to a lockout two seasons from now if the two sides cannot reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
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When asked about the confrontation with Harper during a visit to Wrigley Field, though, Manfred downplayed the issue with four simple words: "Not all that significant," Manfred said, per Rogers.
"I think more has been made out of this than needs to be made out of it," Manfred added, according to Rogers. "Bryce expressed his views. At the end of the meeting, we shook hands and went our separate ways."
Manfred might be brushing off the confrontation, but for many fans it was a surprising sign of two competing agendas that could become a focal point of an impending labor strike. Harper might have just been expressing his views but if the clubhouse showdown was any sign of the negotiations to come, then it could be more significant than Manfred is letting on.
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