Indians Send Westbrook to the Cardinals
Besides beating the Blue Jays 2-1 Saturday, the Indians were very busy off the field, first shipping veteran pitcher Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals. Here is the release by the team:
The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has traded RHP JAKE WESTBROOK and cash to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a three-team trade between the Indians, Cardinals and San Diego Padres. In the deal the Indians have acquired RHP COREY KLUBER from the San Diego Padres.
Kluber, 24, has spent the entire season to date at AA San Antonio going 6-6 with a 3.45 ERA (122.2IP, 121H, 59R/47ER, 40BB, 136K, .259 avg) in 22 games/21 starts. He currently leads the Texas League in strikeouts (136), strikeouts per 9.0IP (9.98K/9.0IP) and is 2nd in innings pitched (122.2IP). Over his last 4 starts he is 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA (26.0IP, 18H, 5R/ER, 8BB, 30K) and the Texas League recently named him the player of the week.
The Padres selected Kluber, a 6-4, 215-pound right-hander, in the 4th round of the 2007 June draft out of Stetson University (FL). In 2009 between A Lake Elsinore and AA San Antonio he went a combined 9-13 with a 4.56 ERA (154.0IP, 155H, 90R/78ER, 70BB, 159K) in 28 starts. He tied for seventh in strikeouts among all of minor league baseball with 159 in 2009. Kluber will report to AA Akron in the coming days.
Westbrook went 6-7 w/a 4.65 ERA in 21 starts (127.2IP, 133H, 66ER, 44BB, 73K) this year with the Indians after missing the entire 2009 season due to right elbow surgery. The 2004 American League All-Star had a record of 69-69 with a 4.29 ERA in 218 games/179 starts with the Indians (1191.1IP, 1269H, 568ER) from 2001-2010 after being acquired from the NY Yankees on June 29, 2000.


Matt has covered Major League Baseball and the "other two" Pro teams in Cleveland since 1994. He has been on the beat of the Indians in full-time mode since 1996, working for various raido and print networks around the country.