Ridiculous Bryce Harper ask should kill any Dodgers trade rumors in the cradle

The Philadelphia Phillies' Wild Card loss to the Atlanta Braves was predictable, as has been the identity crisis and loss of faith that's followed. The Phillies have been annual contenders since 2022, when they fell two wins short of a World Series title, but their aging stars and some alleged strife between certain players and the front office might have Philly trending toward a partial rebuild.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner and former Dodgers free agent target Bryce Harper could both be on the move this offseason — though that's a big 'if,' as both have full no-trade clauses. Turner is coming off of what was by far the worst season of his career, but Harper might be more tempting for a team that's willing to pay the price.

That price, by all estimations, will be high. He's 34, but he's still hitting close to 30 homers a season and didn't miss a game in 2026. There are very few teams who would not only be willing to take on the rest of his contract (five years, $125.7 million) but also able to do so.

The Dodgers may be one of them, and they already tried to tempt Harper to LA once upon a time on a Kyle Tucker-esque deal. With Freddie Freeman's age catching up to him, Harper could take over at first. No doubt, the most annoying fan account you know on Twitter will propose a massive trade under that premise.

LA already has so many reasons not to want to take Harper on, but attention is now turning to some intel Ken Rosenthal dropped after the Phillies' postseason exit, which is going to make Dave Dombrowski's goal to dump him even harder. "For Harper to join [another team]," he wrote, "he likely would require a contract extension."

Bryce Harper extension whispers should put a quick end to ideas of a Dodgers trade

It's not a matter of if the Dodgers could trade for Harper. They have the money, the prospects, and they could find ways to wiggle him onto the roster. A Harper-Freeman first base timeshare would be absolutely ludicrous for any other team, but the Dodgers are the Dodgers.

But one of the main concerns of this offseason is figuring out how to make the roster younger. Sacrificing a mountain of young prospects in return for a 34-year-old whose contract is up at age-38 would not satisfy that need.

Harper has asked for a contract extension from the Phillies before, as recently as last offseason. He was rightfully laughed at, given the years and the money left on his current deal.

The Dodgers' time to have Harper in Dodger blue has come and gone, and no doubt Andrew Friedman has made his peace with that. There's no world in which he comes to LA, so anyone thinking about posting a rage-baiting trade proposal on Twitter should probably quit while they're ahead.

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