The reigning National League champion Philadelphia Phillies may be eyeing one of the more sought-after starting pitchers on the international market, Orix Buffaloes right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, while they were in person for one of Yamamoto’s starts, the Phillies might have an advantage on their side, albeit a small one.
Charlie Manuel, ex-Phillies manager, World Series winner and former Orix (then BlueWave) player, provides a tiny connection to the franchise the Phillies are now trying to woo for the services of Yamamoto. It won’t matter a lick when it comes to dollars and cents, but it can’t hurt.
The Phillies, among other teams, took in Yamamoto’s start Wednesday.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the 5-foot-10, 167-pounder impressed “over seven scoreless innings with poise, focus and athleticism and also with several solid-to-plus pitches — including a four-seamer up to 97 mph, cutter, curveball and splitter.”