KANSAS CITY -- As they continue to expand their international presence under general manager J.J. Picollo, the Royals have added two new people to their international scouting staff, the club announced Thursday afternoon.

Johnny DiPuglia has been hired as the Royals’ special assistant of international scouting and Fred Guerrero will join the staff as coordinator of player evaluation.

DiPuglia, a longtime scout who had been with the Nats since 2009, is highly regarded within the industry. He was Washington’s international scouting director before being promoted to vice president and assistant general manager after the organization’s 2019 World Series title, the year he was named the Professional Scouts International Scout of the Year. DiPuglia resigned from the Nationals organization at the end of last season.

DiPuglia has often been credited with rebuilding Washington’s Latin American presence. His staff notably signed Juan Soto in 2015, as well as Victor Robles -- two players who helped the Nats to their World Series. DiPuglia worked with the Cardinals from 1990-98 and the Giants from ‘98-99.

Then, as the Red Sox Latin America scouting director from 2005-09, DiPuglia signed Hanley Ramirez, Aníbal Sánchez and Xander Bogaerts, among others.

“We are thrilled to announce the newest additions to our international scouting staff, Fred Guerrero and Johnny DiPuglia,” said Rene Francisco, the Royals’ senior vice president of Major League & international operations/assistant GM, in a statement provided by the team. “Their wealth of experience and stellar reputations as scouts make them valuable assets to our team. In their roles, they will actively contribute to all facets of international scouting operations. We look forward to the enhanced expertise and success they bring to our organization.”

Guerrero served as the Twins’ director of Latin American scouting and U.S. integration since 2014. He had been with Minnesota since 2004 and has been involved with the signings of players such as Luis Arraez, Yennier Cano, Danny Santana, Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sanó.