Twins owner Jim Pohlad has become involved in the club's managerial search, according to a source with knowledge of the search.

The Twins planned at the outset of their search to get Pohlad more involved once a group of finalists was identified, so it is a signal that the team is close to naming their replacement for Ron Gardenhire, who was fired Sept. 29. Pohlad has met with multiple candidates in recent days, according to the source.

Pohlad was present Monday when the Twins held a second interview with Boston bench coach Torey Lovullo at a location outside the Twin Cities. Lovullo first interviewed with the Twins during the weekend of Oct. 11. The Twins had to ask for an extension to continue their pursuit of Lovullo as their search continued into late October. In the past, Lovullo has interviewed for managerial jobs with the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mariners, Astros, and Rangers.

It's likely that Hall of Famer and St. Paul native Paul Molitor has met with Pohlad recently as well. Molitor, who has met several times with the club, is in his second stint as a Twins coach and has spent several years working with Twins minor leaguers.

Former Twins first baseman and Class A Fort Myers manager Doug Mientkiewicz has interviewed twice for the job and is still in the running, but Molitor and Lovullo appear to be the front-runners.

The Twins on Friday expressed interested in speaking with Joe Maddon, who opted out of his contract managing the Rays and became a free agent. According to the source, the Twins had not contacted Maddon as of Monday but are keeping that option open.

To do that, the Twins would have to extend their search into November, which isn't likely. All signs point to the club making its decision sometime this week on a new manager.

The Twins have interviewed several other candidates for the job, including White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing, Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale and Class AAA Rochester manager Gene Glynn.