The moment Chris Sale held up his hand, showing the world a pinky finger that resembled a map of the Colorado River, it just felt like the Red Sox' world officially changed.
It might be hyperbole to suggest as much, but vibes are vibes. And that was the vibe.
By the time Sunday ended the Red Sox had went their separate ways, with a 13-2 loss to the Yankees firmly planting their tails between their legs. They were just three games over .500, two games out of the final wild card spot and riding the uncertainty that came with a 6-14 stretch.
There was also the obvious uncertainty that lingered thanks to the fractured finger on Sale's hand, with a specialist to determine in the coming days if the injury was a season-ender.
Oh, and on top of it all, the Red Sox took two more shortstops with the first two picks in this year's Major League Baseball Draft. Hmmmm.
The conversation that seemed so cemented a few weeks before - strongly suggesting this was going to be all about riding out this "Last Dance" with a litany of free agents-to-be - had been turned inside-out.
Now the idea that likes of Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez and Christian Vazquez (among others) wouldn't be members of the Red Sox on Aug. 3 is a very real possibility. Heck, if you want to line up Rafael Devers' situation with that of Mookie Betts in 2019 - when the Red Sox at least entertained trading the outfielder at the deadline - the future of the third baseman could also be in the mix.
It has always felt that if Chaim Bloom wasn't fully convinced this club was a championship contender, selling would be prioritized over buying when it came to the days leading up to the deadline. Right now, it would certainly be a tough sell.
Toronto. Cleveland. Milwaukee. Houston. Those are the teams the Red Sox are playing coming out of the All-Star break, all of which are playoff contenders. In other words, optimism will have be be earned this time around.
Then there is the matter of accomplishing what simply hasn't been put on display for the season's first half - beating American League East teams. The Red Sox are a horrific 12-26 against clubs in their division, not having won a single series against any of them.
Meanwhile, the a good chunk of those teams that will be vying for one of those final Wild Card spots, such as Seattle, Cleveland and the White Sox, get to feast on some of the worst of the worst for those final two months. The reality is the Red Sox have become the layup in the East.
And what about those draft picks?
The Red Sox would certainly deny picking Marcelo Mayer last year, or Mikey Romero and Cutter Coffey this time around had anything to do with how they envision Xander Bogaerts' future with the organization. But it's hard to envision rolling out a seven-plus-year deal for Bogaerts while putting so much stock in the future of the same position.
Perhaps that is a stretch for some, but let's reconvene in 2025 to see if what's what.
Alex Cora and the rest of his club's foundation (many lived the championship life with him in 2018) obviously want to give this a whirl without waving a late-July white flag. And they would have a chase.
Other than Sale, it would seem the roster is about to come out of the break looking a whole lot more familiar. A late-inning reliever here. A first baseman there. And even now maybe some starting pitching help somewhere along the way. Now you're on the trolley.
Still, as Sunday turned into Monday, the feeling that an organizational turnover was bubbling to the surface had taken root.
And for a team that had fought so hard to push such conversations aside, that must be an absolute dagger. Is it a flesh would, or is are they ready to go full amputation?
Right now, it sure feels like Dr. Bloom is getting ready for some serious surgery.
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