Bryce Harper sees no issue with the Dodgers’ payroll: ‘I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing’

Bryce Harper has no problem with the Dodgers building a superteam.

“I don’t know if people like this, but I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing,” he said Friday, ahead of their series opener. “I think they’re a great team. They’re a great organization. That’s why guys want to go there and play.”

The Dodgers touched down in Philadelphia undefeated, bringing with them the highest payroll in baseball and a host of international superstars. The series marks the first true test of the Phillies’ season after facing the Nationals and Rockies, both teams with losing records last year.

» READ MORE: Everyone is intrigued by the torpedo bat, including the Phillies. Will it be a revolution or a fad?

And the defending World Series champions consider the Phillies a test of their own.

“I think that both teams like to use each other as a barometer or a benchmark,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think there’s a little bit of that.

“There’s a lot of familiarity, and we haven’t played in a lot of postseason games in recent years. But there’s a little rivalry with us, which is interesting. ... We’ve both been good for so long. I think we play similarly. There’s a lot of star power with both ball clubs. I think there’s a mutual respect. I enjoy playing these guys.”

On paper, there are some key differences between the two clubs. The Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll is about $90 million more than the Phillies.

And while the Phillies certainly have superstars of their own, they acquired them from a bit of a different talent pool. The last three highest-profile Japanese free agents — Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and most recently Roki Sasaki — all ended up in Dodger blue, and the Phillies have yet to break through in that region.

This winter, they signed bullpen arm Koyo Aoyagi, their third Japanese player ever and first since 2008, but Aoyagi has a 5.40 ERA in triple A.

But despite differences in how the teams were constructed, the Dodgers see similarities in how they play the game.

“You really got to throw strikes, because they have the same type of approach that we do,” Roberts said. “So you got to really pound the strike zone, to get these guys out. ...

“I think that what makes them dangerous is when they swing the bat, there’s slug, and most of their guys do a good job of controlling the strike zone and taking walks when needed, and so they make you throw the ball over the plate. So that’s a really good formula for getting base runners and score runs.”

» READ MORE: Phillies announcer Larry Andersen remains off the air following surgery

On the surface, that outside perspective might seem at odds with the Phillies’ past proclivity for chasing, which doomed them in the 2024 postseason and has been a hot topic of conversation around the team all winter and spring.

It’s a small sample size, but the 2025 numbers so far seem to back Roberts up. The Phillies have drawn walks at a 10.6% clip through their first two series, seventh in MLB and only slightly trailing the Dodgers (10.7%). The Phillies collectively had a 26% chase rate entering Friday’s game, ranking third-lowest in baseball.

“As far as pedigree, there’s a lot of guys in that lineup that do a good job of controlling the zone,” Roberts said. “But also they’ve got some free swingers in there too.”

Andrew Painter threw 33 pitches across two innings of a live batting practice session Friday. “They said he pitched very well,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Velocity was excellent. Threw a lot of strikes with his offspeed pitches.” The Phillies will determine the next steps for Painter over the next few days. ... Weston Wilson (moderate oblique strain) faced live pitching on Friday and hit a home run. Thomson said Wilson should be ready for a rehab assignment next week. ... Ranger Suárez (lower-back stiffness) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Saturday. ... Aaron Nola (0-1, 8.44 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday against Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki (0-0, 5.79).