The White Sox and Blue Jays have hired new personnel to lead their international efforts.

The White Sox have hired Marco Paddy as a special assistant to the general manager in charge of international operations. Paddy had been Toronto's director of Latin American operations the last five years, during which time the Blue Jays signed Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, Venezuelan righthander Henderson Alvarez, Venezuelan catcher Carlos Perez and Venezuelan righthander Adonys Cardona, among others.

The Blue Jays were one of the most aggressive teams on the international amateur market this year, signing Mexican righthander Roberto Osuna, Venezuelan outfielders Wuilmer Becerra and Jesus Gonzalez, Dominican shortstop Dawel Lugo and Venezuelan righthanders Manuel Cordoba and Jesus Tinoco.

Chicago's international program has been decimated in recent years due to a kickback scandal. Three former White Sox officials—former director of player personnel David Wilder and international scouts Victor Mateo and Jorge Oquendo Rivera—were fired in 2008 and have since each pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. In a November 2010 indictment, the government alleged that the three received approximately $400,000 in kickbacks from around 23 players from December 2004 through February 2008.

The White Sox had hired Jerry Krause to run their international scouting in April 2010, but Krause left the organization a year later to take over as a special assistant in Arizona. The White Sox have been among the lowest spenders and least productive teams in the international amateur market in recent years.

The Blue Jays have replaced Paddy with Ismael Cruz, who had been with the Mets as their supervisor of Latin American operations and now will be Toronto's special assistant to the GM in charge of Latin American operations. During Cruz's time with New York, the Mets' notable Latin American signings included Jenrry Mejia, Ruben Tejaad, Jeurys Famillia, Wilmer Flores, Cesar Puello, Jordany Valdespin and Juan Urbina.

The Mets' former director of international operations, Rafael Perez, left the organization last month to become Major League Baseball's new director of Dominican operations.