Bryce Harper's continued Aaron Judge obsession should be a Dave Dombrowski warning

The World Baseball Classic for Team USA officially begins on Friday night with their matchup against Team Brazil. The Philadelphia Phillies have some stars rocking the stars and stripes, with their first baseman Bryce Harper being one of the biggest names to suit up for the tournament. The worldwide competition features names from across MLB, and that includes Yankees' captain and outfielder Aaron Judge. Ahead of Judge and Harper being teammates for the next few weeks, it's become obvious the admiration that Harper carries for the reigning MVP winner in the AL.

Judge and Harper developed a relationship dating back to when Judge was trying to recruit Harper to join the Yankees in 2018. They've stayed friendly since then, but joining the same team has both of them excited to play alongside one another.

This camaraderie is warranted, but should at least cause some concern from the Phillies' front office about how outwardly Harper has been talking about the opportunity to bat in the same lineup as Judge.

The Phillies front office needs to be more careful about how they handle Bryce Harper moving forward

Harper went through quite the offseason this past winter. For his first six seasons in Philadelphia, Harper could almost seemingly do no wrong. Baseball is a much different sport when it comes to controllable outcomes, but it felt as if the wave of the Bedlam at the Bank moment has finally washed ashore in recent months. Harper was openly questioned by the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski on his ability to return to form, and then turmoil ensued with talks of trades and Harper possibly wanting out of Philadelphia. He finished the 2025 regular season with an .844 OPS, 27 home runs, and 75 RBI.

The two sides reportedly worked it out, but the WBC remarks about Judge still raise questions. Could the thought of hitting in front of Judge be something that Harper has thought of outside these few upcoming games? Harper has not shied away from his thoughts about Judge (subscription required), per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

“Obviously, I respect everything he’s done, the career he’s had,” Harper said, per Rosenthal. “He’s such a pro. But relationship-wise, it’s more than just about the game.”

Harper was also on The Pat McAfee Show talking about the WBC and who he was eagerly awaiting to play with. Judge was easily the answer.

“There’s nobody else I’d rather be wearing the captaincy on his chest than Judgey,” Harper said. “I'm excited to play with him.”

Harper has complimented his current Phillies teammates in the same vein, of course, but this felt different. Over the offseason, Dombrowski failed to bring in another big bat to help protect Harper and Schwarber. Last season, it showed in the offense's inconsistency after the first three hitters. It's also one of the big reasons why Harper saw the lowest amount of pitches in the strike zone in MLB at just 42.9 percent, per FanGraphs.

Granted, anyone batting around one of the greatest right-handed hitters in the sport's history would be favorable, but it also gives Harper a feeling of being wanted, something that has not been easily reciprocated from the Phillies the last few months.