MLB hires Nelson Cruz as special adviser for baseball operations

Major League Baseball hired former seven-time All-Star Nelson Cruz as a special adviser for baseball operations, the league announced Friday.

Cruz, who retired in November after 19 seasons, will focus on topics in Latin America, including the Dominican Republic, and helping grow player relations.

"Nelson Cruz is a respected voice in the game whose outstanding service to young people and those in need in the Dominican Republic earned him the Roberto Clemente Award," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "Nelson is passionate about growing the game and improving issues for players and our sport as a whole."

The 43-year-old spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins.