JUPITER, Fla.–Following the 2005 season, the Dodgers hired former Giants executive Ned Colletti as their general manager, and now the Giants have returned the favor, as John Barr was named special assistant to the GM for the Giants.

Barr, who has spent the past 10 years as east coast crosschecker for the Dodgers, arrived to the park in Jupiter Saturday night and was greeted warmly by his colleagues. A scout’s scout, Barr worked in the front office with the Padres before taking over as scouting director with the Mets and later the Orioles in the ’90s. Among his peers, he’s liked as much for his professionalism and communication skills as he is respected for his keen eye for evaluation that helped the Dodgers build one of baseball’s best farm systems this decade.