The ninth inning stopper in the Minnesota Twins bullpen seems set for the 2013 season. Left-hander Glen Perkins has done enough while stepping in for the injured Matt Capps to earn the job. Ron Gardenhire eloquently assessed the situation for reporters Tuesday:
Asked this week how he feels about Perkins being his closer, manager Ron Gardenhire said, "He is my closer."
Perkins, 29, has converted 10 of 11 save opportunities this year, and has 130 strikeouts and a 2.55 ERA in 120 innings over the past two years. The Twins signed him to a three-year, $10.3 million extension this past winter.
Right-hander Jared Burton, signed as to a minor league deal after two injury prone seasons for the Reds, has also chipped in five saves since Capps went down on June 15. Capps has a $6 million team option with a $250,000 buyout for 2013.
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