If the Yankees enter the Shohei Otani sweepstakes after this season, Brian Cashman can thank caffeine.
The Yankees general manager trekked the 18 hours to Sapporo, Japan, to get a firsthand look Thursday morning at the dual-threat player on every MLB executive’s mind. But Cashman wasn’t betraying any thoughts about the 23-year-old people have compared with Babe Ruth for his ability to pitch and hit.
“No comment. Sapporo is a beautiful city,” Cashman said after watching Otani pitch for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, according to a reporter covering baseball in Japan.
Starting in front of scouts from 15 MLB teams, including Cashman, Otani gave up four runs on three hits and three walks in just 3 1/3 innings of work. The right-hander, returning from ankle and thigh injuries, was far from being in midseason pitching form after making only one other start this season — in which he fared even worse, allowing four runs on three walks and two hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Cashman, sitting right behind home plate, was caught on camera letting out a big yawn during the game.
Otani has shined off the mound, hitting .342 with five home runs and 22 RBIs in 45 games this season. The outfielder has particularly intrigued the Dodgers, who flew to Japan two weeks ago to scout him, and the Red Sox.If Otani does decide to leave Japan for MLB after this season, he won’t be signing the gargantuan contracts that other Japanese stars, like Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka, have landed upon their transfers. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, he is allowed to receive a signing bonus only as much as the team can offer based on its international pool allotment, since he isn’t yet 25.
The Yankees could spend roughly $8 million on the rising star.