MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins have been unable to improve the front end of their pitching staff but on Thursday, they strengthened the back end.

All-Star closer Matt Capps is coming to the Twin Cities after the Twins and Nationals agreed to a deal in which top catching prospect Wilson Ramos heads to Washington. The Twins also included minor league lefthander Joe Testa in the deal. The Twins will also receive cash from the Nationals.

The trade was announced by the Twins on Thursday night.

Capps, 26 and in his first season with the Nationals, is 3-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 26 saves in 30 chances. He will be installed as the Twins' new closer, with Jon Rauch, who has 21 saves in 25 chances, moving back to a setup role with Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier.

With the Twins striking out in their attempts to land starting pitchers such as Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Ted Lilly, the club switched to a search for bullpen help. The teams have discussed a Capps deal for several weeks.

A source close to Capps on Thursday said the Twins, Yankees, Braves and White Sox were interested in Capps, who pitched a perfect ninth inning Thursday to collect his 26th save in Washington's victory over Atlanta.

Ramos was pulled from the starting lineup moments before Class AAA Rochester was to play the Gwinnett Braves on Thursday. In fact, Ramos was pulled so late the switch wasn't announced until after the game began. In 71 games with the Red Wings, Ramos batted .241 with five homers and 30 RBI. He appeared in seven games with the Twins when Joe Mauer was slowed because of a heel injury and batted .296, including a five-hit game in his major league debut. Ramos is strong-armed and has a power bat, making him the Twins' best trade chip, given Mauer's presence.

Capps is 22-22 in five-plus seasons with a 3.48 ERA and 93 saves. He was not offered a contract by Pittsburgh during the offseason and signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Washington. Capps has one more year of arbitration eligibility left, meaning the Twins could have control of him through the 2011 season.

That's another reason why the Twins wanted Capps. Rauch is a free agent after the season, and closer Joe Nathan will be coming off of Tommy John surgery. This gives the Twins an option if Nathan needs more time to recover.

Rauch has closed for the Twins as Nathan's replacement. While his production and competitiveness has been admirable, only five of Rauch's saves have been clean saves -- in which he has retired the side in order. Rauch should thrive back in a setup role.

The addition of Capps also makes up for lefthander Brian Duensing, who has moved into the starting rotation after a dominant run in the bullpen.

Testa, a reliever, was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2008. He began this season at Class AA New Britain, where he was 1-4 with a 8.25 ERA in 21 games. He was moved to Class A Fort Myers, where he went 1-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 15 games.

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