How to win the 2019 AL East

For me, the most powerful TV moment this Christmas happened on Saturday Night Live, when Miley Cyrus sang the John Lennon carol, "Happy Christmas/War is Over." If you missed it, here it is. The fundamental message: If we truly want something, we have the power to make it happen. 

Clearly, Miley was targeting an "audience of one:" Yankee owner Hal Steinbrenner. 

Her message: Yankee drought is over... if Hal wants it.

Let's imagine for a moment that Food Stamps Hal has one lone objective: To win in 2019. We must halt Boston's march toward a dynasty, and the best way to do that is by winning the AL East. Nothing else matters. We don't worry about money. We don't worry about long-term plans. Dearth is over... if we want it. 

So what do we do? 

1. Sign Manny Machado to play 3B. Give him a huge contact with an "out" clause after, say, three years. He'll sign. He's made it clear: He wants to be a Yankee.

2. Sign Bryce Harper to play LF. Same deal: Massive amount of money with a chance to become a free agent by 2021. Listen: All the Gammonites are saying the same thing: This guy wants to be a Yankee.

3. Sign a stopgap SS until Didi Gregorius returns.

4. Move Miguel Andujar to first base.

5. Trade Sonny Gray, Greg Bird, Luke Voit, Clint Frazier, Tyler Wade and the top prospects in the system - Florial, Loiasiga, Abreu, etc. - for a starting pitcher and a bullpen arm. Fortify the staff at the trade deadline.

Here is the September lineup:

Aaron Hicks CF
Aaron Judge RF
Bryce Harper LF
Manny Machado 3B
Didi Gregorius SS
Giancarlo Stanton DH
Miguel Andujar 1B
Gary Sanchez C
Gleyber Torres 2B

Here is the pitching staff:
Masahiro Tanaka
James Paxton
Luis Severino
J.A. Happ
TBA/ Jordan Montgomery

Here is the bullpen:
Aroldis Chapman
Dellin Betances
TBA
Jonathan Holder
Chad Green

This team wins 115 games. It hits 300 homers. Boston faces the wild card game, and the Yankees have home-field advantage in October. 

We could still lose in the post-season. And we will suffer long-term consequences. Frazier and Bird could become stars. Trading prospects is always touchy. Machado and Harper might leave in three years. But this summer - in 2019 - this is baseball's best team, by a mile. 

And so happy Christmas. And a happy new year. Drought is over... if you want it. Drought is over... now.