It was announced on Wednesday that Omar Minaya will serve as an amateur scouting consultant for Major League Baseball, both domestically and internationally, continuing the longtime executive's groundbreaking MLB career.

"Omar is a highly respected figure across our sport who will help shape our future initiatives in the amateur space," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "We are pleased that he will provide his scouting expertise and experience as a senior executive with multiple MLB clubs. We welcome Omar and look forward to his contributions."

Minaya, who became the first Latino general manager in Major League Baseball with the 2002 Expos, began his career as a scout for the Rangers in 1984.

"For four decades, scouting has been a true passion of mine," Minaya said. "It is an honor for me to assist Major League Baseball to ensure the scouting industry remains the lifeblood of this game. As baseball evolves, scouting has changed, and I'm excited to be part of how the industry moves forward in scouting players."

Following his GM stint with the Expos, Minaya assumed the same role for the Mets prior to the 2005 season. New York experienced a 12-win increase in '05, then a 14-win jump in '06, when the Mets won their first National League East title since 1988.

Minaya remained at the helm of the Mets' baseball operations department through 2010 before being named the Padres' senior vice president of baseball operations. He served in that role through 2014, including a brief stint as the club's interim co-GM.

More recently, Minaya has held various roles with the Mets and within the Major League Baseball Players Association.