The St. Louis Cardinals are definitely in need of a fourth starter, and their nearest in-house option, Lance Lynn, could use some additional time at AAA Memphis. But Jake Westbrook and his erstwhile employer, negotiating since the end of the season, appear to still be a ways away from an agreement as the Hot Stove League begins in earnest. Westbrook and his other erstwhile employers, the Cleveland Indians, have apparently talked of late, and the Colorado Rockies are another team that has allegedly shown interest.
↵Hiroki Kuroda, a better pitcher than Westbrook, resigned today with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year deal worth $12 million. The Cardinals' lack of payroll flexibility past Pujolsmas makes a similar deal especially enticing, but the market appears to have overrated Westbrook's multi-year viability and underrated Kuroda's, so Westbrook seems, even now, like a fair bet to get multiple seasons. Anything more than two years should worry a team that is compelled to employ Kyle Lohse through 2012.
↵Jake Westbrook's 2010 was a big help to the Cardinals, and he is especially appropriate as a Dave Duncan project, but he made five starts across 2008 and 2009. He's not a sure thing, and he should be priced as such.
↵