It's time for the Yankees to reclaim their role as THE YANKEES.

Somebody once said time is God's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. He was probably a Yankee fan, stuck in some dreary November, waiting for the shoes to drop... like us, like now, like right now.

Because here we are, sniffing the usual sites for the dank scent of raw speculation and whispered rumors. Nobody knows nuthin. Frankly, I can't write another dipshit paragraph about Brian Cashman, whose legacy in Cooperstown is now visiting the Farmers' Museum for selfies with the Cardiff Giant. The Gammonites used to talk him up for a future bronze plaque. They don't enshrine GMs who win once in a millennium.  

Any day now, the volcanos will blow. It will start with a middling free agent, a Lucas Giolito or a Marcus Stroman - and then, ka-boom, goodbye Iceland. After the first domino topples, time will halt. Contrary to God's plan, everything will happen - all at once. Strap in, everybody. Winter is coming.

In the face of this upcoming scrum, the Death Barge has one weird advantage: The Yankees doesn't need to chase Shohei Ohtani, the biggest free agent prize. Why bother? We won't get him. The Mets, Dodgers and somebody, God-knows-who, will be stuck in the doorway like Mo, Larry and Curly, while the Yankees look elsewhere. We already have a $400 million DH, and it sucks. Why add another? 

That said, it will soon be time for the most profitable franchise in American sports to exercise its greatest advantage: Money, cabbage, dough, klabba, zilpnab... 

That means signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 25-year-old reincarnation of Masahiro Tanaka. 

Add Yamamoto to the rotation, and the Yankees are a contender - maybe not for the division title, but at least for the expanded playoffs.

Remember, when you sign an ace pitcher...

1. He doesn't replace your No. 2. He replaces your worst, your No. 5. In this case, it's Randy Vasquez. Huge leap.

2. He works maybe 200 innings, saving your bullpen. Every part of your pitching staff is positively affected.

3. He gives you a one-two punch - (with Gerrit Cole) - in the postseason, or any three-game series. 

4. You keep him from Boston and/or Toronto.

The Yankees need Yamamoto, the most intriguing free agent out there this winter. Soon, it will be time for the franchise to reclaim its name. All it takes is money that Hal will never even miss... and maybe a little humility. The time is almost here.