Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Orix Buffaloes, who one Yankees’ executive said, “we like…a lot.”

Yamamoto is a 25-year-old right-hander who threw a no-hitter on September 9, the very day Cashman, along with advisor Omar Minaya, was in attendance.

The Yankees’ interest in the Japanese star has increased since then, according to a source who said Yamamoto, “is at another level.

”The Buffaloes will reportedly post their ace this off-season, which means he’ll offered to any MLB club willing to spend. It also means the Yankees will have stiff competition.

Among the clubs already interested in Yamamoto are the Red Sox, who’ll try to leverage their connection to previous Japanese hurlers including Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara.

The Yankees can point to a successful relationship with Masahiro Tanaka, who was the same age as Yamamoto when he arrived in the Bronx in 2014.

[www.nj.com]