The St. Louis Cardinals and starting pitcher Jake Westbrook agreed to a one-year, $9.75 million contract on Wednesday, and it is a joyous occasion for the 34-year-old veteran, as SI.com writes:
"I'm super excited to get this done,'' Westbrook said. "It gives me peace of mind knowing I'm going to be back here last year.''
Hard work has paid off for Westbrook (12-9, 3.50 ERA), who missed the entire 2009 season, as well as most of 2008, due to injury. He lost some weight during the offseason, and has become a reliable innings-eater for a Cardinals pitching staff that ranks fourth in the National League in ERA.
"I think that's one of the reasons that I worked so hard in the offseason, to give myself every opportunity to prolong my career,'' Westbrook said. "I definitely don't want to stop playing.''
Westbrook's next scheduled start is on Thursday vs. the Houston Astros in St. Louis.
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