The entire universe seemed to be rallying behind Bryce Harper.

Everyone, that is, except Dan Patrick.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper led a heated pushback against the idea of a salary cap, telling MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to “get the f*ck out” of the Phillies clubhouse.” Harper reportedly stood nose-to-nose with Manfred — widely regarded as one of the most unpopular commissioners in professional sports — during a meeting meant to improve player relations.

The showdown occurred during one of the roughly 30 yearly meetings Manfred holds with players, which lasted over an hour. According to ESPN, Manfred never directly said “salary cap,” but the talk around baseball’s finances clearly hit a nerve with Harper.

As the collective bargaining agreement approaches its expiration on December 1, 2026, many team owners are rallying behind a salary cap. The MLB Players Association strongly opposes the idea, insisting that a cap would mainly inflate team values rather than address the spending disparities between large and small markets.

Harper spent much of the meeting sitting with a bat in hand, growing visibly frustrated. He reportedly warned that if MLB moves forward with a salary cap and stands firm, players “are not scared to lose 162 games.” That’s when he confronted Manfred head-on and did something that made the former SportsCenter anchor “disappointed.”

“That’s embarrassing for Bryce Harper. It really is,” the star of Happy Gilmore 2 said on his eponymous radio show. “…The commissioner at least came in to talk to the players, and then you’re going to react that way? Instead of being mature, instead of saying to Rob Manfred, ‘You and me, let’s talk about this,’ or maybe the commissioner should’ve given Bryce Harper a heads up and said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna bring this up. What do you think?’ And then Bryce Harper might’ve said, ‘Don’t bring it up. Don’t bring that in here. It’s not going to go well.’ But I give the commissioner credit. He’s at least trying to talk to the players.”

There’s a growing sense that a salary cap — or some form of stricter spending control — is coming, whether players like it or not. Harper’s outburst won’t stop where this is all headed, but it does lay bare just how far apart the two sides really are. The league talks about collaboration, the players hear control. And if this is how conversations are going behind closed doors, it’s hard to believe either side is ready to meet in the middle.

“The players aren’t in favor of a [proposed salary cap implementation]. I certainly understand that,” Patrick continued. “But, for Bryce Harper to act that way. Like, who are you? You got your money. You’re good. Maybe you’re fighting for everyone else. I understand that. But this is the commissioner of the game. He’s at least talking to you. Would you have more respect if he didn’t say something to you? If he hid? I was disappointed in Bryce Harper. I was embarrassed for him.”

Harper was speaking for many frustrated players, and whether Dan Patrick liked the delivery or not, the message seemed to resonate with them. The salary cap fight is coming, and this dust-up was a preview of how tense it’s going to get. Drawing a line in the sand is one thing. Getting ownership to actually budge is another.

But Patrick wasn’t necessarily saying Harper was wrong, just that there was a better way to go about his business.

“Bryce Harper could’ve chosen better words, that’s all,” Patrick added. “You can deliver the message, but you can deliver it in a far more mature way than that, or you can say, ‘Commissioner, let me talk to you before you talk to these guys. I’m the leader of this team, you have to talk to me.’”