The Orioles interviewed their first candidate to replace vice president for baseball operations Syd Thrift yesterday, as they continued to wait for permission from the New York Mets to speak with their senior assistant general manager, Jim Duquette.

Two sources with knowledge of the talks said the Orioles first asked the Mets for permission to speak with Duquette late last week, but Mets owner Fred Wilpon continues to stall.

A Massachusetts native, Duquette recently interviewed for the Boston Red Sox GM position, but the Mets have a history of denying teams permission to speak with him.

Pushing forward, Orioles owner Peter Angelos and the team's general legal counsel, Russell Smouse, spent more than three hours speaking with Detroit Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila at Angelos' downtown law office.

Angelos came away impressed with Avila's experience, and Avila came away with several positive things to say about the Orioles.

"They have a beautiful, brand-new ballpark," he said. "The city has always been behind that team. It's a situation where you can come in and be successful, and that makes it an attractive job.

"[Angelos] indicated that he wants to make the team better, and that's all you can ask for. They've done a good job of turning the team around [trimming payroll, adding young players], and now they're in position where they can get a lot better."

Today, the Orioles will interview former Montreal Expos general manager Jim Beattie, and tomorrow they will interview Arizona Diamondbacks assistant GM Sandy Johnson.

Mike Flanagan, one of the leading candidates to replace Thrift, interviewed into last night with the Red Sox for their GM job. Angelos already knows Flanagan so well, he might not need to do a formal interview before making a decision.

The same could go for former Orioles star Cal Ripken, whose interest in the position has surprised many close to the process. Ripken has not commented publicly on the subject since he was asked before Game 5 of the World Series.

For now, Angelos is concentrating on outside candidates. The team will likely seek permission to speak with Oakland Athletics assistant GM Paul DePodesta, a 29-year-old Harvard graduate who was thought to be the Toronto Blue Jays' first choice for GM last year. DePodesta pulled out of the running, and the Blue Jays hired J.P. Ricciardi.

Others on the Orioles' list include former Chicago White Sox GM Ron Schueler and former Anaheim Angels GM Bill Bavasi. The list could grow to include Red Sox interim GM Mike Port and perhaps one or two more by the time the Orioles finish compiling information.

Angelos was uncertain yesterday if he would have a second round of interviews, but Thrift is expected to handle the duties at least through next week's GM meetings in Tucson, Ariz.

Avila, 44, was born in Cuba and got his start in baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization, where his father, Ralph, was a highly influential Latin American scout. The younger Avila coached baseball and served as athletic director at St. Thomas University in Florida before taking over as general manager of the Single-A Daytona Beach Admirals, and then working nine years with the Florida Marlins.

He began last season as a special assistant to the GM with the Pittsburgh Pirates and then rejoined former Marlins GM Dave Dombrowski with the Tigers.

"He knows all the teams real well," Angelos said of Avila. "He's very knowledgeable. He's come up through the ranks, and he's learned at all the levels. He has a strong scouting background, and he understands all facets of the general manager's position."

Duquette, who is cousin to former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette, was considered a strong candidate for the Dodgers' GM position when it opened last year, but the Dodgers pulled out of the running when it was apparent the Mets would not grant them permission to speak with him.

The Pirates asked for permission to speak with Duquette last year, and the Mets declined. Duquette, who has family in the Baltimore area, has long been considered as a potential successor to Mets GM Steve Phillips, and in his last contract, the Mets increased his salary with a clause that allows them to deny teams permission to talk to him.

That contract expires after next season, so the Orioles remain at Wilpon's mercy.