SARASOTA, Fla. — The Yankees have welcomed a familiar face to their front office.

Hideki Matsui was named as a special adviser to general manager Brian Cashman, the team announced Tuesday.

The 40-year-old Matsui, who played the first seven of his 10 major league seasons with the Yankees, has been a frequent presence in camp and now will work with Cashman and vice president of player development Gary Denbo, who was hired following last season.

In his new role, Matsui will visit teams in the Yankees’ farm system, working on hitting with managers, coaches and players.

“When you have a player of his caliber, who always did it the right way, you want him around,” Joe Girardi said of Matsui, who was named World Series MVP in 2009 when the Yankees won their 27th championship.

“He always found a way to get it done,” Girardi said. “He really knew how to hit and play the game.”

Matsui hit 140 homers with the Yankees and closed out his time with the team by hitting .615 (8-for-13) with three home runs and eight RBIs against the Phillies in 2009.

He also played for the Angels, Athletics and Rays.