San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts frustrated by teammates' efforts as team drops series to Washington Nationals

Ahead of the 2023 season, the San Diego Padres were considered to be the team most poised for a deep playoff push. Now, that possibility is looking more and more remote.

Fans of the team got their first glimpse of playoff baseball in a full season since 2006. Although they eventually met their match at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS, the season was seen as a massive success by most Padres fans.

To help improve their chances in 2023, the San Diego Padres front office made some huge moves. They re-signed MVP finalist Manny Machado to a 10-year deal worth $300 million and inked Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year contract worth $280 million in one of the highest-profile free agency nabs of the year.

Despite all the big moves, 2023 has not yielded the results that anyone expected for the San Diego Padres. Now with a record of 37-41, the team sits fourth in the NL West, 9.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"The San Diego #Padres get smoked again by the #Washington Nationals 8-3, in front of 41,503 disgusted fans at Petco Park. It’s a toss-up who would the most underachieving team in #MLB history between the Padres (37-41) and NY #Mets (35-42) if they both miss the postseason." - Bob Nightengale

On Sunday, June 25, the Padres lost 8-3 to the Washington Nationals, who are the worst team in the National League. Following the series loss, Xander Bogaerts called out his team's performance, claiming that the team needs to beat struggling teams like the Nats if they want any hope of going anywhere this season.

"The Padres have lost five of their last seven, including two in a row to the Nationals" - Talkin' Baseball

Speaking to The Athletic, Bogaerts said "C'mon man, they're the Nationals" and went on the say, "You have to beat the teams you have to beat" in reference to the San Diego Padres' poor performance against the National League's worst club.

San Diego Padres need to turn the ship around quickly

A side with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and Xander Bogaerts sounds more like a fantasy team than an MLB roster. Despite laying claim to all these superstars, the San Diego Padres cannot seem to gel together.

If things continue to unravel at this pace, then expect some big changes to come to the Friars, very soon.