General manager of the Yankees Brian Cashman and his trusted advisor Omar Minaya was present at the Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s no-hitter in Chiba, Japan on Thursday – but they were hardly alone.
According to a league source, the teams in attendance for the gem were the Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. That’s not necessarily a complete list.
As SNY reported earlier this season, Mets GM Billy Eppler flew to Japan earlier this season and personally scouted Yamamoto.
Thursday’s game marked the second time senior Yankees officials watched Yamamoto; professional scouting director Matt Daley also recently traveled to watch him pitch.
Yamamoto, 25, is 14-5 this season. Scouts say he has a broader repertoire than Kodai Sengawho was considered an impact reliever by some teams before proving himself as a starter this season with the Mets.
Yamamoto has none of the questions Senga asked and is expected to come with a price tag well above the five-year, $75 million contract the Mets gave Senga.
