Former major leaguer Takashi Saito has been appointed club adviser for the San Diego Padres and will take on the new role starting Jan. 1, baseball sources said Tuesday.

The 46-year-old had been working as an intern at the National League club's front office after ending his 24-year career, seven years of which were spent in the majors, last season.

In his new post, he will work with the general manager and gather information on Asia, including Japan and Australia, while advising on the team's organizational structure.

Saito, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006 from the Yokohama BayStars, pitched for five major league teams before returning to Japan with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles before the 2013 season, getting a combined 112 wins and 139 saves over his career in Japan and the major leagues.