Should I stay or Should I go?

You may remember the phrase as the title of The Clash’ s 1981 hit, but it can be a burning question around Philadelphia baseball circles involving Bryce Harper.

After some questionable comments from Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, Harper suddenly has become the subject of trade talks. He also hasn’t taken kindly to Dombrowski stating that since he didn’t have an “elite” season, can he “become elite or continue to be good.”

Hmmm, what do you think?

In this version of my Behind the Plate column, I’ll take a look at Harper’s current situation, a comparison of Shohei Ohtani and Babe Ruth, and reflect back on a former Weatherly star who played in the minors and majors.

You Said It ... In a recent Times News Lehighton Sports Facebook poll, the question was posed whether or not the Phillies should trade Harper?

The majority — 67 percent — wanted to see Harper back at the Bank next season, while 33 percent wanted to ship him elsewhere.

Harpin’ On It ... This past season, Harper’s OPS of .844 and his OBP of .357 was the lowest in his seven-year Phillies’ career. He belted 27 homers and knocked in 75 runs with an average of .261, the lowest since he hit .260 his first Phillies year (2019). To his credit, Harper missed 30 games this season, mainly due to his wrist injury, and he hasn’t played in 150 games or more since 2019.

Still, Harper’s power numbers have dipped since he hit 35 homers and drove in 84 runs in 2021. During that season, he led the league with 42 doubles, a slugging percentage of .615, and an OPS of 1.044.

In the NLDS against the Dodgers, Harper struggled going 3-for-15 (.200) without any RBIs. It was his lowest NLDS performance aside from hitting .167 in the Wild Card series in 2023, and .200 in the 2022 World Series.

In the field, he has apparently found a new home at first base, where he was nominated for a Gold Glove.

If the Phils do decide to deal Harper, he has six years remaining on his 13-year, $330 million deal, and he is owed $153 million. That’s an affordable amount for a contender.

A Harper Ferry? ... If Harper is traded, where does he go?

When Harper signed with the Phillies in 2019, he apparently was a loud blip on the Yankees’ radar. The Yanks were looking for a slugger in their lineup, and they chose to acquire Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins a year earlier. Yet, Harper was in their sights in a trade scenario.

Well, since then, Harper has 179 homers, 530 RBIs, 218 doubles, 77 stolen bases, an OBP of .386, an OPS of .912, and slugging percentage of .526 in eight years with the Phils.

In eight years, the 35-year-old Stanton has hit 267 homers, drove in 672 runs, has hit .244 with 111 doubles, and an OPS of .819, and an OBP of .326. He has three years left and is owed $59 million.

The Yanks surely could afford to put Harper at first, and he would benefit from their short right-field porch. Boston, Houston and Seattle also have been mentioned as possible landing spots, but all three teams — along with the Yankees — reportedly have interest in Mets free agent first baseman Pete Alonso as well.

Stay tuned.

Schmitty Scene ... In a brief comparison with Harper, Mike Schmidt was 33 in 1983, and smacked a league-leading 40 homers with 109 RBIs and hit .255. Schmidt led the league in walks with 128, and in OBP with 399. He also had an OPS of .923.

Ironically, Schmidt would also play six seasons (like Harper’s remaining six-year deal), and inked a six-year deal in 1981 that paid him $1.2 million per year.

Shohei and the Babe ... Whenever you watch Ohtani, you’re watching baseball history. To me, it’s amazing how he can get two or three hits in a game and pitch five to six innings — six was his season high in a game. We may never see this type of player in the game again.

Of course, the instant comparison of the only other player close to him was Babe Ruth.

Yet, this comparison might be a faulty one.

“The Babe” pitched six years with the Red Sox, and compiled an overall 89-46 slate with a 2.19 ERA and recorded 105 complete games in 143 starts. He wasn’t the overpowering pitcher you might think with 483 strikeouts and 425 walks.

At the plate, Ruth hit 49 homers with 224 RBIs and a .308 average, along with 82 doubles in six seasons with Boston. He struck out a mere 184 times, and walked 190 times in 1,110 plate appearances.

Remember, pitchers hit back then.

With the Yankees, Ruth only pitched in five games over four seasons with a 5-0 record and a 5.52 ERA, and threw his last pitch at age 38. As you can see, he strictly focused on his legendary hitting, a situation most fans forget.

In his first six years with the Angels, Ohtani went 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and had a remarkable 608 strikeouts and 173 walks over 481.2 innings. With the Dodgers, Ohtani didn’t pitch in 2024, and was 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 games with 62 strikeouts and nine — yes nine — walks over 47 innings.

At the plate, Ohtani hit .274 with 171 homers and 437 RBI in six seasons with the Angels, and has hit .296 with 109 homers and 232 RBIs in two years with the Dodgers.

At age 31 and a possible dynasty with his team in the making, Ohtani will surely provide us with plenty of more history.

Lucky Seven ... If you watched Game Seven of the World Series, it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t one of the best games ever — maybe overall, too, not just the series — as it was theater with all of the plots and lead changes. It’s right up there with the 1991 Twins-Braves (1-0 Twins) and 1960 Pirates-Yankees (Pirates 10-9).

The country thought it was, too, as it drew more than 25.98 million, making it the most watched since 2017 that averaged 28.29 million in Houston’s victory over the Dodgers.

Trivia Time ... Who is the first Phillies to hit two home runs in a World Series game? Hint, it was against Toronto (see answer in Time Passages below).

Readers Write

Let It Slide, Bryce

Dear Jeff,

Bruce Harper should not be offended by (Dave) Dombrowski’s comments. The simple fact is that he (Harper) had an off season, and he did not perform up to his “showman” standards. He certainly performed the past two years in the playoffs.

He is 33 and maybe he is past his prime? Maybe not? Fans still love him, but you need to perform in Philly, as they demand the best.

Melissa Hammer Hager

Lehighton

Not Dodging the Bullet

Dear Jeff,

Dynasty? Hah. Ruining baseball, hah. Dem bums.

As a lifelong Dodgers’ fan, I was highly disappointed. They battled injuries all year long, and with a healthy team, they underachieved. The big three — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman — did not produce. Untouchable starting pitching — Blake Snell, Tyler Glasgow and Ohtani — were touchable.

Only players to exceed expectations were Yamamoto, Will Smith, Miguel Rojas and Kike Hernandez. Credit to the Blue Jays for great defense and timely hitting.

Never mind. It was an exciting series.

Paul Dallara

Hawley, PA

Scrapbook ... Each column, I will turn back the pages to review the career of a former local standout from our coverage area.

Carl Duser had a stellar high school career at Weatherly, and signed a contract with the Philadelphia A’s in 1954. In two seasons with the A’s, Duser appeared in three games with an overall 1-1, 7.88 slate.

Duser played Triple-A with Columbus and Buffalo of the International League, as well as with Sacramento and Hollywood of the Pacific Coast League.

His best seasons in the minors were with B-league Lancaster of the Piedmont League, when he was 7-9 with a 3.54 ERA and nine complete games in 18 starts. The following season, Duser went 8-7 with a 4.32 ERA with 14 complete games in 23 starts with Columbus of the International League.

His total mark in the minors was 33-39 with a 4.30 ERA, and he had 23 complete games in 132 starts with two shutouts.

After baseball, Duser worked as a college basketball official. He passed away at age 90 in 2023.

Time Passages ... Each column, I will rewind the tape to take a look at a former player, manager or media personality from our favorite pastime.

In reference to the trivia question above, Lenny Dykstra hit two homers and drove in four runs in a 15-14 loss to Toronto at the Vet in Game Four of the World Series.

Overall in the series, Dykstra hit .348 with four homers, eight RBIs, four stolen bases, five doubles and 14 runs scored. In his eight years with the Phillies, Dykstra hit .289 with 52 homers, 251 RBIs, 47 stolen bases and was named a three-time All-Star.

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com