Source: Cardinals Close to Trade for Indians' Jake Westbrook

by Steve PhillipsFiled under: Cardinals, Indians, MLB Rumors, MLB Inside Scoop, MLB Trade DeadlineThe St. Louis Cardinals are close to a deal for Indians starting pitcher Jake Westbrook, a major league source told FanHouse, but a significant financial hurdle must be cleared with the players' union first. Westbrook, who is scheduled to start Saturday afternoon for Cleveland, is signed for $10 million this season and $11 million in 2011, but he is also due a bonus worth roughly $2 million if he gets traded. St. Louis does not wish to pick up the extra money, and Westbrook can not surrender any of the value on his contract without union approval, so the Major League Baseball Players' Association is working on a solution to facilitate a deal. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments