Dodgers hire six International Scouts covering Europe, Latin America, Mexico, the Pacific Rim and Venezuela

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Dodgers added experience to their international team of scouts with the signing of Pedro Avila, Gene Grimaldi, Patrick Guerrero, Pat Kelly, Jamey Storvick and Mike Tosar it was announced by Dodgers’ General Manager Ned Colletti.

The six scouts will serve under Bob Engle, who was hired by the Dodgers on November 1 as Vice-President of International Scouting.

Colletti also announced the hiring of Josh Bard as special assistant, player personnel and professional scouts Willie Fraser and Scott Groot.  Former Dodger third baseman Bill Mueller, who served as special assistant, player personnel, will become a full-time professional scout.

The six international scouts will cover the following areas—Avila will be coordinator of Venezuela operations, Grimaldi will be coordinator of European operations, Guerrero will be coordinator of Latin America, Kelly will be coordinator of the Pacific Rim, Storvick will be special assignment scout in the Pacific Rim and Tosar will be coordinator of Mexico.

“The experience and international knowledge these scouts possess will benefit our organization immediately,” said Colletti.

Avila has been scouting Venezuela for 16 years, working with Toronto (1996-99), Seattle (2000-08) and the Texas Rangers (2008-12).  He was instrumental in the signing of Felix Hernandez.

Grimaldi returns to the Dodgers, where he began as an international scout from 1990-2000.  He also scouted for the Minnesota Twins (2000-2007), the Cincinnati Reds (2008) and the Seattle Mariners (2009-12).

Guerrero had been with the Seattle Mariners since 2000.  The son of Epy Guerrero worked for Toronto in 1995, the Baltimore Orioles from 1996-98 and returned to Toronto in 1999 before joining the Mariners.  Guerrero was instrumental in the signing of right-hander Michael Pineda.

Kelly, who resides in Adelaide, Australia, returns to the Dodgers, where he was Pacific Rim coordinator from 2000-2005.  He left the Dodgers to join the Seattle Mariners for the past seven years.  Kelly played nine seasons in the Majors with the Yankees, Cardinals and Blue Jays.

Storvick, the first American scout based in Taiwan, had been with the Seattle Mariners since 1999.  His role was expanded in 2008 to include South Korea.  Storvick is a graduate of Faulkner State College and Oklahoma City University and a native of Anoka, MN.

Tosar played in the New York Mets, Yankees and Montreal Expos organizations from 1991-95.  He was a coach in the Minnesota Twins organization in 2002 and turned to scouting the following year and eventually scouted for the Seattle Mariners from 2005-10.

Bard caught for 10 years in the Majors (2002-11).  He joined the Dodgers in 2012 and was a back-up for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. 

Fraser comes to the Dodgers from the Angels, where he has scouted since 2010.  Fraser pitched parts of eight seasons in the Majors with the Angels (1986-90), Blue Jays (1991), Cardinals (1991), Marlins (1994) and Expos (1995).  He also pitched three years in Japan.

Groot returns to the Dodgers, where he worked from 1998-2004.  Prior to joining the Dodgers, he started his scouting career with Minnesota (1991-98).  After 2004, he worked as a sports management consultant and teacher and returned to scouting for Kansas City (2010-12). 

Mueller, who played 11 years in the Majors, joined the Dodgers in 2009 as an assistant to general manager Colletti.  He will join the Dodgers’ scouting staff in 2013.