The MLB trade deadline is less than a week away, and Bryce Harper has made his thoughts on the Philadelphia Phillies' roster very clear.
"I think we need some help," Harper said when asked if he thinks the lineup is good enough to beat good pitching in October.
His manager, Don Mattingly, was not too fond of Harper's comments.
"I don't like it from the fact of what I've been saying," Mattingly said before Wednesday's game. "You're saying that you don't like our players that are here. I think you're always trying to get better. You should always incrementally try to get better no matter who you are. Even if you're the Dodgers who have one two straight, they're trying to get better in different ways. We're in the same boat. You're always trying to get better. When you say something about our team, then you're saying something about one of our players that you don't like."
Mattingly has been around a long time, so he has heard it all from inside the clubhouse.
"I've been through this," Mattingly said. "Guys want to be GMs without a real understanding of where the organization is. Knowing exactly where this thing goes, not just this year, but moving forward. Again, players like being GMs and making calls and spending other people's money."
Mattingly took over when Rob Thomson was fired and has turned the Phillies' season around. He has them in a postseason position, and noted that he does not feel a need to address Harper's comments with him.
"Bryce is Bryce," Mattingly said. "He's going to do whatever he wants. I'm not really concerned about it. I would just take it with a grain of salt."