Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who has won Pacific League MVP honors and the Japanese version of the Cy Young Award the last two seasons — twirled a no-hitter for the Orix Buffaloes on Saturday.
A slew of big league executives were in attendance. Among the throng: Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman and other MLB scouts/executives were in the house for Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s no-hitter tonight pic.twitter.com/fWGEllFL4J
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) September 9, 2023
It is not a surprise Cashman would head to Japan to see the right-hander in person. Yamamoto is only 25-years-old and he is expected to be posted this offseason. The Yankees — and a bunch of other clubs — figure to be very interested in signing him.
HOWEVAH …
We cannot help but throw this out there: Cashman decided to go across the world on the same weekend as Derek Jeter’s triumphant Old Timers’ Day return? That timing seems just a tad bit on the nose, right? The Buffaloes have another month to go in the regular season and they have an 11-game lead atop the Pacific League. There will be other times to see Yamamoto. But Cashman chose this one. And hey, maybe he got Hal Steinbrenner to sign off on the private jet and he is already back home. Who knows. But just saying.
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Also: If the Yankees do sign Yamamoto, radio voice John Sterling cannot nickname him “The Admiral,” right? Brad Halsey has not pitched for the Bombers in 20 years, so the statute of limitations is up from that standpoint. But it still feels like a stretch of good taste.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
