Ex-Red Sox Star Xander Bogaerts Brutally Honest About Padres’ Problems

Xander Bogaerts never shied away from facing the music whenever the Red Sox hit a rough patch during his 10 seasons in Boston.

Now, the All-Star shortstop is taking a similar approach to a tumultuous first year in San Diego, offering a candid assessment of the Padres’ performance after back-to-back home losses to the last-place Washington Nationals.

“C’mon, man. We’re playing the Nationals,” Bogaerts told reporters Sunday at Petco Park after an 8-3 defeat, per The Athletic. ” … I don’t think they have playoff aspirations. I mean, they obviously have a young team and they fight. They do fight. But I wouldn’t say anyone picked the Nationals to be in the playoffs. So, you have to beat the teams that you have to beat.”

Conversely, nearly everyone picked the Padres to reach the postseason. They have a massive payroll and an abundance of star power, with Bogaerts signing an 11-year, $280 million contract this past offseason to join forces with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatís Jr. and Juan Soto, among others.

“There’s not a lot of tomorrows left, you know.”

Xander Bogaerts on the Padres’ 2023 struggles

Yet, the Padres simply haven’t lived up to the hype, in large because their supposedly stacked lineup has been surprisingly punchless all too frequently. San Diego scored 13 runs last Friday night against Washington, owners of the National League’s worst record, but laid a goose egg Saturday and mustered up just a trio of runs Sunday.

“The whole talk of the whole year pretty much has been (about) the offense,” Bogaerts said, per The Athletic. “I mean, if we’re gonna be real about it, it’s been on us, man. The pitching has nothing to do with it. They’ve been excellent, and they’re gonna have days like this. That’s how the game is.”

The Padres entered Tuesday ranked 21st in Major League Baseball in runs scored. They ranked 24th in average, 16th in OPS, 12th in wRC+ and 11th in home runs.

Not exactly terrible, but hardly the output you’d expect from a team brimmed with elite talent. And it’s reflected in San Diego’s 37-41 record, which has the Padres in fourth place in the NL West, 9 1/2 games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

“There’s not a lot of tomorrows left, you know,” Bogaerts said. “The season is coming to an end — I mean, not soon, but it is. If we keep tacking on losses, it’s gonna come by quick.”

The 2023 campaign has been a grind for Bogaerts, who’s slashing .256/.341/.389 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs, a far cry from the numbers most anticipated after a red-hot first week with San Diego.

And it’s been downright disappointing for the Padres, collectively, even calling into question whether they should consider selling before the MLB trade deadline.