Are Tommy Pham's comments an indictment of Buck Showalter's lack of preparedness this season?

The trending news story over the last 24 hours that revolves around the New York Mets, unfortunately, has nothing to do with their current play on the field. In what seems like a redundant topic of players who no longer play for the team speaking out on the Mets clubhouse, Tommy Pham recently took a shot at the Mets position players in a quote to The Athletic (subscription required) that was published on Thursday.

In case you haven't seen the quote, Pham had spoken out about the Mets position player group and stated “Out of all the teams I played on, this is the least-hardest working group of position players I’ve ever played with.” Pham did single out Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo as exceptions to his observations, which basically puts a target on every other position player who put on a Mets jersey during Pham's time in New York this season.

The Mets position players have now been put under a microscope after Tommy Pham's latest public remarks

When you look at the bigger picture, you almost have to wonder if these comments from Pham could've also been a slight at Manager Buck Showalter, who after all is running the show. It's possible that Showalter, who is known as one of the sharpest and most prepared managers in the game, was not as equipped for the 162-game grind as he was last season.

There are legitimate questions about whether Showalter will return to the team next season as the team's Manager. It's also certainly possible that there is more than we know beneath the surface in terms of Showalter's investment in this current season where the Mets were projected as World Series contenders.

While the players themselves should be held accountable as well for their lack of preparedness, if there is no accountability coming from up-top, especially with a group as talented as Showalter was managing, then these comments may be more of an indictment on him than the players.

While Tommy Pham ended up turning into a fan favorite during his time with the Mets, you almost have to wonder if that bridge has now been burned with his latest public remarks. It also could possibly be another strike against Buck Showalter after one of the most disappointing seasons in Mets history.