Is Plan B Already in Effect Without Us Knowing?

So, is it possible that the Red Sox have been running their own version of Operation Fortitude all month long without us having any idea what is happening? For those of you who don’t have a clue what I am talking about, during World War II, the Allies developed two plans connected to the D-Day invasion. Operation Overlord was the official plan for the invasion of Normandy that we are all familiar with. Operation Fortitude was a ruse that involved providing the Axis with false information and even creating an entirely fictional U.S. First Army Group that was supposedly commanded by General Patton.

I say all that to offer up the possibility that what we thought was Craig Breslow’s plan to rest most of the roster and get the players prepared for a Wild Card round in New York might actually have been a smokescreen for the real plan of tanking the entire month so they could avoid New York altogether and play the winner of the Central as the final Wild Card.

As crazy as that might sound, the way the Red Sox have been playing and the way the schedule has unfolded might just give the theory some credence. Three games remain with the Cubs this season, and Chicago is still playing for its playoff life, so these three games are must-wins for them.

On the other end, the Guardians and White Sox are still battling for home-field advantage as the winner of the Central Division while also trying to lock up a Wild Card spot in the American League. The White Sox have three games remaining with the Rockies, and Cleveland has three in Kansas City. If the White Sox go 3-0, the Guardians go 2-1, and the Red Sox go 0-3, all very real possibilities, the…