Major League Baseball has hired a search firm to help prepare candidates for openings in baseball operations throughout the league, with special emphasis for minority and female candidates.

Baseball has never had a female general manager and there are few women and minorities on that side of the organizational structure in the sport.

Major League Baseball has had a minority interview requirement in place for several years, but commissioner Rob Manfred says the league believes the agreement with Korn Ferry "might be able to improve the effectiveness of the rule by making minority candidates who get an interview more effective in that interview process."