Mattingly responds to Harper's call for deadline moves: 'Players like being GMs'

Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly responded to Bryce Harper's recent call for the front office to bring in reinforcements at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

"I sense Bryce thinking about it. I don't really sense anybody else thinking about it," Mattingly said Wednesday when asked if other Phillies players might be thinking about the team's areas of need. "You've been through this. Guys want to be GMs ... without a real understanding of where the organization is."

He added, "Players like being GMs and making calls and spending other people's money."

On Monday, Harper implored the Phillies' front office to acquire more talent before the deadline.

"I mean, I think everybody knows kind of what we need, right?" Harper said. "I mean, everybody in here knows what we want. Everybody in baseball kind of knows what we need. So, there's players out there that are available, and I think we have a good opportunity to go get the guys we need. If that's bullpen, if that's in our lineup, if that's a starting pitcher. You guys know what our five spot's looked like all year."

Mattingly said he wasn't bothered by Harper's comments but admitted he didn't like that the star first baseman's words made it seem as if "we don't like our players that are here."

"When you say something about our team, then you're saying something about one of our players that you don't like," Mattingly added.

The Phillies entered Wednesday six games above .500 and in possession of the NL's second wild-card spot despite losing six out of their last seven games.

Harper, who went 4-for-25 in those seven contests, is slashing .165/.295/.317 with 28 strikeouts over 22 games in July.