Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Friday that Jon Rauch will be the club’s closer.

Gardenhire said that he and pitching coach Rick Anderson spoke with all of the pitchers and informed them that Rauch will close. Earlier this week, Gardenhire said that the team would go with a closer-by-committee. But in the end, he didn’t want to move too many pitchers out of their roles.

“We’re going with Rauch as our closer,” Gardenhire said. “This way we kind of let everybody else know where they are at. We’ve always had a good setup where everybody knows their roles…If guys know their roles out there, the system works.

“Rauch has got saves. He’s been a closer. He has the most experience at it. So we’ll let him go do it. The rest of them will set him up.”

Rauch, 31, has 26 career saves, including 17 with Washington in 2008.

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Rauch said he was told by Gardenhire on Thursday that he would be the closer. Thinking it might be an April Fools’ joke, Rauch said he didn’t really believe the news until today, but he said he’s happy to take on the role.

Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares and Jesse Crain will now serve as the main set
up men for the Twins. Pat Neshek, Clay Condrey and Brian Duensing are also options to use in bullpen.