San Diego Padres’ failed 2023 season finally catches up to Josh Hader

Josh Hader wasn't beating around the bush following yet another crushing San Diego Padres defeat on Monday night.

In a brutally honest exchange with reporters after the loss in San Francisco, Hader claimed he was unavailable for four outs at the end of the game.

San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader has given up on a frustrating 2023 season for his team

The southpaw closer effectively quit on his team with just a handful of games remaining in the regular season. Not exactly a great look.

It's not like Monday's loss to the Giants was insignificant either: Padres' ace Blake Snell twirled a gem in what was potentially the final mission in his quest for the 2023 NL Cy Young Award. Snell was ultimately outdueled by San Francisco's Logan Webb, a great pitcher in his own right. And had Josh Hader been available to pitch the late innings, perhaps that would've bought more time for San Diego's offense to heat up late.

Instead, Robert Suarez gave up the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning, allowing the Giants to slam the door in the ninth. Again, not ideal.

So what does this mean for Josh Hader's future with the San Diego Padres? It certainly appears ominous, to say the least. The 29-year-old left-hander looks content to just run out the clock on what has been a vastly disappointing year for the Friars.

It's likely a lot of players on this team feel similarly, but only Hader felt like he was in a position to make his feelings publicly known. And in this case, the truth may actually set him free from the Padres, while simultaneously burning bridges on his way out.

With a crack at free agency on the way, these remarks don't seem well-timed on Hader's part, either. One can only speculate: if his next team also underperforms, will he quit on them too?