CC Sabathia named special assistant to Commissioner

CC Sabathia will continue to be an ambassador for baseball as a special assistant to the Commissioner.

MLB announced Sabathia's new role on Wednesday. Sabathia pitched 19 seasons in the big leagues with the Yankees, Brewers and Guardians from 2001-19, and he'll now work with the Commissioner's Office in areas concerning the future of the sport: player relations, diversity, equity and inclusion, social responsibility, youth participation and broadcasting.

"I’m looking forward to sharing my viewpoint as a former Major League player with the Commissioner’s Office," Sabathia said in a statement. "I want to be able to continue to give back to the game that I love so much. This new role gives me the opportunity to continue the work I’m passionate about, be an advocate for players and be able to contribute to the decision-making process of the league office after 19 years on the field. I can’t wait to get started."

Sabathia will be on hand to celebrate Opening Day on Thursday at a fan event at MLB's headquarters in New York City. The left-hander, who won 251 games and collected 3,093 strikeouts in his career, will meet fans and throw out a ceremonial first pitch to start the 2022 season.

As a special assistant to the Commissioner, Sabathia will be a liaison between the league and current players, working to grow the game and promote equity in baseball. He'll also work on new initiatives with The Players Alliance, where he's the vice president.

Sabathia, a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award with Cleveland and a World Series championship in 2009 with the Yankees, will continue to join MLB Network's special Clubhouse Edition broadcasts, where he calls games with other former players.

"We are excited to have CC Sabathia join the Commissioner’s Office to work on some of our most important initiatives," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "We welcome CC’s positive energy, strong character, creative mind, and civic-minded approach in building on our efforts to strengthen the game, diversify the sport, and give back to the community. CC has a powerful voice in baseball, and we value the perspective he will bring to our office."

Sabathia will be based out of New York and will join a group of former Major Leaguers working in the Commissioner's Office that includes Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who's also a special assistant to the Commissioner, and others like Raúl Ibañez, Billy Bean, Rajai Davis, Gregor Blanco, Joe Martinez and Dan Otero.