The Yankees are one of the top teams in baseball right now, but everybody knows they’re still a piece or two short of being the favorite.

The Dodgers just-crowned back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers are the team to beat, and New York is clearly tired of looking up at them.

This offseason gives the Yankees plenty of chances to get better, especially in free agency. They still have to figure out what to do with Cody Bellinger (bring him back or move on), but the bigger talk right now is about adding a frontline starting pitcher.

Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer just predicted that the Yankees will end up signing Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai this winter.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden thinks Imai’s deal could hit $154 million, which is definitely in the Yankees territory when they really want somebody.

“The Yankees have looked like a fit for Imai for a while now, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported they are ‘believed’ to be one of the most interested clubs in the righty,” Rymer wrote.

“They’re not alone in this regard, but outbidding the Yankees for someone they want is always easier said than done.”

Landing Imai would give the rotation a huge boost. The guy has been very open about wanting to come to MLB and beat the Dodgers, which is exactly the kind of fire the Yankees love to hear.

It’s not their biggest need, but with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt both coming off injuries and some question marks about how they’ll hold up, bringing in Imai would add a ton of security and depth.

Suddenly, going toe-to-toe with Los Angeles next October would feel a lot more realistic.