PHILADELPHIA — Tommy Pham may not have considered the Mets as the hardest working group of position players he has been around, but one of the veteran outfielder’s former teammates wonders about the relevance of such a sentiment.
“Ultimately, in this game, results matter,” Brandon Nimmo told The Post on Thursday before the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “And I don’t think anybody really cares about how you work. I think all they care about is, ‘What are the results on the field?’ ”
Pham, who was traded by the Mets to Arizona on Aug. 1, recounted to The Athletic a conversation he had with Francisco Lindor in which he told the shortstop the Mets had the “least-hardest working group of position players” he had ever been around. Pham added that Lindor, Nimmo and Pete Alonso all worked hard.
Nimmo said he had a good relationship with Pham and respects his work ethic.
But Nimmo doesn’t necessarily agree that lack of hard work has been an issue with the Mets this season.
“If this [game] was based on how hard people work there would probably be a lot more people here,” Nimmo said. “There’s definitely an amount I have done … a lot of guys. But ultimately, you have got to do whatever gets you ready for the season or for the game. And this year, the results didn’t match what we were expecting. Whether we put in a ton of hard work or we didn’t, that can all be speculated.
“Tommy has a very valuable opinion because he has been around the league a long time. He’s seen a lot of different organizations, which a lot of us haven’t, so he definitely has a right to say his opinion on the season. But all I know is whatever you do as far as your work goes, it only matters as far as your results on the field.”
Buck Showalter was asked if Pham’s comments reflected poorly on him as manager.
“Tommy is entitled to his opinion, and what works for one player may not work for another,” Showalter said. “I see the work these guys put in every day.”
DJ Stewart might be an option for a return to the lineup on Friday, according to Showalter.
The outfielder missed a second straight start after he was hit on the left wrist by a thrown ball during batting practice on Wednesday.
