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Orioles going global in search for players

DALLAS — Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette couldn't stress enough how important he feels it is to put added emphasis on international scouting and recruiting. The hiring of new executive director of international recruiting Fred Ferreira is proof of that, but Duquette said that he will be bringing in additional international scouts to help Ferreira and Dave Stockstill with that effort.

"Fred Ferreira is one of the top talent scouts in the business, and one of the things we needed to devote more resources toward was our international recruiting efforts,'' Duquette said Sunday evening. "Fred did a great job for the Yankees, signing a number of core players and then he and I had the opportunity and good fortune to work together in Montreal and he signed some really top quality players for the Expos as well. He has maintained all his contacts, working with his baseball school in Florida and he's ready to go back to work."

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"The effort to boost the international recruiting is so we can be active in all the markets. Fred is going report directly to me, as is David Stockstill. International scouting is a passion of mine and something I'm going to be paying very close attention to."

That doesn't mean the Orioles are going to try and outspend the Yankees and Red Sox to get the best international talent, but the new labor agreement institutes some limits on international spending, which could narrow the gap between the big-revenue clubs and everybody else.

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"I don't think we can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox (in signing international players)," Duquette said, "but you know there are resources that are directed in the new labor agreement, right, so clubs have a cap on their resources. After you spend up to the cap, you have to pay a tax. I've said before that we have to be smarter and make better choices than the teams that have more resources, and these guys have a track record of doing that."

"My point is, we have to invest smarter and with a limited amount of resources, we've got to make better choices, and Fred has done that effectively whereever he's been, and I'm sure he'll do that for the Orioles, too."

The Orioles are expected to have a staff meeting this morning to make assignments for the four days of meetings. Duquette said he met with two clubs during the afternoon on Sunday, before he met with the media and then attended an affiliates reception.

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