For Boston Red Sox fans, the decision by homegrown star Xander Bogaerts, 30, to exit the American League East and sign a free-agent contract with the San Diego Padres is tremendously disappointing even with the realization that professional athletes are grossly, if not disgustingly, overpaid.

The Red Sox reportedly offered the shortstop six years for $160 million. Instead he signed with the National League West team for 11-years and $280 million.

Long-term contracts with crazy money, hardly ever work out, though, regardless of who is cutting the checks.

It seems, however, the billionaire BoSox ownership evidently learned nothing from the failed Jon Lester negotiations.

Mookie Betts is probably a different situation, because he apparently wanted out of Boston no matter what.

If the New York Yankees are the Evil Empire, has the Red Sox management — with their questionable moves and non-moves — become the Weasel Empire?

That said, given their lofty income bracket, pampered and entitled pro athletes need to stop being so sensitive about initial, low-ball offers.

For a reality check, they should have a chat with ordinary Americans about how the latter is often disrespected in the workplace.

The subtext of Bogaerts’ introductory press conference with the Padres, at least in part, seemed to be his lack of confidence in Boston’s ability to be competitive going forward, especially as compared to the big-spending Padres’ stacked lineup.

The disastrous Red Sox 2022 season effectively ended on April 23, 2022, when second baseman Trevor Story literally threw away the game on an errant throw in what would have been a 10th-inning, comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Will 2023 be any different? And when it comes players coming and going, comedian Jerry Seinfeld correctly pointed that fans are reduced to rooting (or perhaps by extension not rooting) for the “laundry.”

As a side note, it will be interesting to see if the rules changes will make MLB less boring, especially as a TV product.

The Red Sox-owned NESN television channel, made another bad decision when it didn’t re-up play-by-play man Don Orsillo after the 2015 season.

He now, ironically broadcasts Padres games, as well as some national games on TBS.

Unlike the tedious, platitudinous nature of MLB telecasts (or radio casts), Orsillo and the late Jerry Remy comprised an extremely entertaining tandem for Red Sox games.