Dodgers’ Mike Brito named international scout of the year

Reporting from San Diego —  Mike Brito of the Dodgers will be recognized Wednesday afternoon as the international scout of the year. The reception will take place during Major League Baseball’s annual winter meetings.

Brito, 80, is best known for signing a teenage Fernando Valenzuela in 1979. In recent years, he’s played a role in the signings of Yasiel Puig and top pitching prospect Julio Urias.
“We congratulate Mike on his significant contributions to the Dodgers’ international scouting efforts and his success overall in baseball,” Dodgers international scouting director Bob Engle said in a statement. “Mike has been an instrumental member of our organization for more than three decades and we are grateful for his service to the club.”

A native of Cuba, Brito was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Brito has worked for the Dodgers since 1978.