​Bryce Harper’s candid trade deadline comment gets pushback from Phillies’ Don Mattingly originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Philadelphia Phillies have come out of the MLB All-Star break in Philadelphia very sluggishly. They’ve dropped eight of 12 games since the break, losing every series they’ve played.After a brutal loss to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night, Bryce Harper made a clear comment about the team’s needs for the MLB trade deadline, saying, “I think we need some help…”That comment is one that Phillies fans can get behind, but from Mattingly’s perspective, he didn’t like it. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com shared Mattingly’s response, in which he pushed back on such commentary in defense of the Phillies’ roster.Don Mattingly pushes back on Bryce Harper’s Phillies trade deadline needs comment”I sense Bryce thinking about it. I don’t really sense anybody else thinking about it, honestly,” Mattginly said. “Guys want to be GMS, what you need without a real understanding of where the organization is, exactly what where this thing goes. Not only this year, but moving forward. So, I mean, players like being GMs and making calls and spending other people’s money. So, let it go at that.”That comment from Mattingly wasn’t the only response the Phillies’ interim manager had on Harper’s comment about this team needing more help.Mattingly also said, according to Anthony Sanfilippo of On Pattison, “Am I bothered? No. I just don’t like it from the fact of what I’ve been saying – that we don’t like our players that are here. I just don’t…”It’s an understandable reaction from Mattingly, as he’s going up to bat in defense of the Phillies players who Harper might be alluding to wanting to see replaced by adding at the trade deadline.MORE: Giants willing to trade Heliot Ramos in big news for many MLB clubsIf the Phillies acquire help in the outfield, in the bullpen, in the starting rotation, or maybe even in the infield, they will wind up replacing a few players in the process.So, if Dave Dombrowski trades for someone by the August 3 deadline, then someone is losing their starting job, or even their MLB roster spot.While Harper might not be wrong in his assessment that they “need some help” at the deadline, getting such help would mean the Phillies would be replacing some of the players that Mattingly is representing.Things haven’t been going well for the Phillies lately, and the pressure is beginning to mount in what could be the last year of this iteration of the Phillies being a postseason contender.Harper is hoping the Phillies upgrade the roster, while Mattingly is not a fan of Harper making those thoughts public. Harper might not be wrong, but it doesn’t change the fact that Mattingly isn’t a fan of that comment from the superstar first baseman.More MLB news:Yankees are ‘leading candidate’ to trade for Twins’ Ryan JeffersRed Sox ‘would love’ to trade for An