BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 19: Boston Red Sox owner John Henry celebrates with the trophy after they defeated the Detroit Tigers in Game Six of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 19, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox defeated the Tigers 5-2 to clinch the ALCS in six games. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The Boston Red Sox season has one focal point that we cannot escape – the New York Yankees. They are making RSN second-class citizens.

Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, but for Boston Red Sox fans it is a tsunami of bad news.

The most important note on the depression scale is Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees. Then came the dominoes of disappearing bats as the Red Sox finally settled on Mitch Moreland. This is like marrying an ex. Sorry, Mitch, you are good, but not great.

Why do I feel like Lloyd Bridges in the movie Airplane? The way things are going this may be a good offseason to start-up some bad habits to block the pain. Is Prozac available by the kilo? Should I just be placed in a coma and awaken when spring training starts? Why is it that the Yankees seem to be doing everything right? Are we starting up the Curse of Hanley Ramirez?

Everything was in place for the Red Sox circa the 2017 season. They were the smart and the sexy pick to go to the World Series. The playoff highlights? Finally winning a game! By that time all that could go wrong during a season had with knee surgeries, elbow miseries, internal strife and a manager who could read the writing on the wall: F-I-R-E-D.

Now? One recovering pitcher decides to use his spouse as a verbal punching bag. Our owner gave the fiscal blessing to go over the luxury tax threshold and Dave Dombrowski squanders it on Moreland. Oh, I forgot – ticket prices went up. So now it costs more to go to the most expensive landfill in the American League East.

I usually have optimism in the offseason since the Red Sox are traditionally movers and shakers, but my shaking will now happen when I see Rick Porcello facing Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez. Did I leave out Greg Bird? Well – Porcello may be doing a little more than just shaking when he faces that wrecking crew.

After being tormented for decades by Yankee success and their collectively boorish fans a new age – an enlightenment that erased the baseball dark ages that settled upon us after four score and six. The Grand Year of 2004 when the bully got sand not only kicked in his face but dumped on him by the truckload. No more “1918” coming our way, but based on the sloth type moves by the Red Sox I expect new and more inventive chants to be created by Yankee Nation.

Maybe J.D. Martinez will make my funk vanish? Based on the production numbers of 2017 it will take a wee bit more than the bat of Martinez to give some baseball CPR to this offense. What is even more frustrating is the Yankees now have a more productive farm system, more money and are even younger. And their pitching? I give them the edge – rotation and ‘pen.

I am certainly perseverating on the Yankees and that is not rare within Red Sox Nation. It all comes down to the Yankees – we know that even if we are unwilling, to be honest, and admit it. You think any Red Sox fan was rooting against Houston in-game seven of the ALCS?

The point that afflicts me is I see our team becoming second-class citizens in the AL East. The Yankees are getting usher in quickly behind the velvet rope while we wait in the rain for the chance to enter. For a poor – very poor – analogy the Yankees offseason is a Lamborghini and the Red Sox? A Pinto would be an upgrade.

What will happen is the legacy that will be attached to this offseason around Dave Dombrowski’s collar. If the Red Sox sink and fade this season and next he will be patient zero in the demise of the Red Sox.