Ex-Red Sox Outfielder Rips ‘Least-Hardest Working’ Team In MLB

Tommy Pham made the transition from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Mets, and playing in the Big Apple was apparently an unsettling experience for the 10-year veteran.

Pham had a 79-game stay with the Mets, who spent a Major League Baseball-high $353 million during the offseason, but laid an egg on the field. New York failed to contend and was forced to unload during the trade deadline in August, currently sitting around the basement in the National League East.

Now a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks and in the mix of postseason contention, Pham’s true (and brutal) feelings about the Mets have surfaced.

“Out of all the teams I played on, this is the least-hardest working group of position players I’ve ever played with,” Pham told Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor during a past conversation, according to Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic.

Regardless of New York’s work ethic, the Mets are easily the biggest disappointment in MLB this season. They never clicked, ranked 25th in batting average (.240) nor did they have the pitching, which ranked 17th (4.31 ERA) to sustain a full season and prove team owner Steve Cohen’s huge offseason spending spree to be a worthy investment.

The Mets caught wind of Pham’s criticism, but didn’t care much.

“Tommy is entitled to his opinion,” Mets manager Buck Showalter told reporters Thursday, per SNY video. “What works for one player may not work for another. It’s fine. I see the work these guys put in every day. … Tommy’s had a good year and we wish him well.”

Pham is batting .263 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs this season, booked for an opportunity to assist the Diamondbacks through their October hunt.