CHICAGO (AP) \u2014 Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper had a spirited exchange during a question-and-answer session between the commissioner and the team, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversation.<\/p>\n
The person spoke to the AP on Monday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos previously confirmed some details from the meeting in interviews with The Bandwagon and ESPN.<\/p>\n
Speaking before Philadelphia\u2019s 6-2 loss<\/a> at the Chicago White Sox, Harper did not dispute the published descriptions of his confrontation with Manfred.<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t be getting into the details of what happened or how I felt or anything else like that,\u201d Harper said. \u201cI don\u2019t think it does any good for anybody for that to happen. So, for me, I just, you know, trying to worry about baseball, trying to worry about everything in here.\u201d<\/p>\n Manfred met with the Phillies and Red Sox during their series last week in Philadelphia. The session with the Phillies lasted more than an hour.<\/p>\n Manfred spoke with the NL team about the media landscape and working together to grow the sport, according to the person with knowledge of the conversation. At some point, Harper told Manfred if he was there to talk about a salary cap, he could \u201cget the (expletive) out\u201d of the clubhouse. <\/p>\n Baseball\u2019s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, and some players are concerned about a possible management push<\/a> for a cap. A spokeswoman for the Major League Baseball Players Association declined comment on Monday night.<\/p>\n Harper is a two-time NL MVP and one of the game\u2019s marquee names, making his conversation with Manfred more noteworthy. The eight-time All-Star agreed to a $330 million, 13-year deal<\/a> with the Phillies in February 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, I don\u2019t want that to happen in those meetings,\u201d Harper said. \u201cI don\u2019t want those things to be out there. I think, you know, when we have meetings with the commissioner or anybody else that comes to our clubhouse, those are good meetings to have.\u201d<\/p>\n Manfred and some owners have cited payroll disparity as one of baseball\u2019s biggest problems, while at the same time MLB is working to address a revenue decline from regional sports networks. Unlike the NFL, NBA and NHL, baseball has never had a salary cap because its players staunchly oppose one.<\/p>\n