The Yoshinobu Yamamoto frenzy will continue on Saturday, when at least two MLB general managers/heads of baseball operations will watch him pitch for the Orix Buffaloes.
The crowd will not only include Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, but another unidentified GM -- and, of New York interest, Yankees vice president Tim Naehring, according to sources.
Naehring is GM Brian Cashman’s most trusted evaluator, and will be the latest in a string of high-ranking Yanks executives to personally scout Yamamoto. Cashman, senior advisor Omar Minaya and pro scouting director Matt Daley have already traveled to Japan.
The Mets have also scouted Yamamoto extensively, including a trip by GM Billy Eppler.
Also relevant to the Mets, multiple baseball executives say that Yamamoto will be represented by Kodai Senga’s agent, Joel Wolfe at Wasserman. Wolfe, who also represents Edwin Diaz, declined comment on Yamamoto.
The Yankees evaluators -- and many others flocking to see Yamamoto -- have also been scouting 21-year-old pitching sensation Roki Sasaki, according to sources. Sasaki is several years away from MLB, but it’s worth noting that high-ranking Yankees officials are already personally scouting him. Sasaki next pitches for the Chiba Lotte Marines on Sunday, with Naehring expected to be in attendance.
As for Yamamoto, evaluators have been even more impressed with him than they were with Senga, who has made a successful jump to MLB. The high-level executive presence in Japan of late led one league source to say, "It’s like the winter meetings over there right now."