Twins Extend Ron Gardenhire

1:29pm: The Twins have issued a press release announcing Gardenhire's two-year extension. The entire coaching staff is coming back as well, though their contracts only run through the 2014 campaign, according to the release.

10:57am: Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the Twins will retain their entire coaching staff as well.

10:51am: The Twins have called a press conference for 2:30pm CT this afternoon, and the team will announce the re-signing of manager Ron Gardenhire, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The contract is expected to be a two-year deal, adds Rosenthal, who also tweets that Gardenhire would not have accepted a one-year deal and likely wanted assurance that the team's payroll would rise again before accepting a new deal.

Gardenhire's job security was up for debate following a third consecutive 90-loss season for the Twins. However, much of the team's decline can be pinned on injuries in 2011 and a lack of on-field talent in 2012-13. Gardenhire is one of the game's longest-tenured and most well-respected managers, having served as Minnesota's skipper since the 2002 season — his first as a big league manager.

"Gardy," as he's commonly referred to, has a career record of 998-947 and led the team to six AL Central titles from 2002-10, winning American League Manager of the Year honors in 2010. One knock against him is that the team has been swept in the ALDS in each of its past three postseason appearances and has only won one playoff series in that run of six postseason appearances.