What Does The Jake Westbrook Signing Mean For the Cardinals 2013 Rotation?

Jake Westbrook is having a good season this year for the Cardinals, at least good for his standards.  I know that his most recent outing has definitely left something to be desired.  Hell, the only good thing that he accomplished in his start against the Pirates was going after Josh Harrison for running down Yadier Molina.  In the grand scheme of things though, Westbrook has turned this “good” season into another one and possibly two more seasons in St. Louis.  While it is good to have a veteran pitcher who eats innings on the Cardinals staff, is it really worth almost 9 million dollars for the next two years for Westbrook?  What does this signing mean for the Cardinals in 2013 and beyond?

First of all, let’s look a little closer at Jake Westbrook’s season in St. Louis that made him such a bargain for the Cardinal front office that he was offered him a contract for the next two seasons.  Westbrook has the 31^st best ERA in the National League among starting pitchers after last year’s 4.66 ERA ranked as the 42^nd best in the National League.  To put this in better context, there are only 75 starting pitching jobs which makes Westbrook right around the middle of the pack for a starting pitcher.  Like I said, he is a good pitcher, but more than anything, he is a veteran presence who eats innings.  Westbrook is a replacement level pitcher, and pitching depth is something that every team in baseball looks for.  But is Westbrook the best candidate for this type of depth?

Now let’s look at the Cardinals pitchers currently and where Westbrook might stand among them.  The staff ace next season will be Adam Wainwright.  Chris Carpenter is looking more and more like a pitcher who could return and be productive next season although there is still the possibility of a return this year that we keep hearing about and have been secretly crossing our fingers for.  After that there is still Jaime Garcia as the third starter, and that is where the Cardinals plan on plugging in Westbrook as the 4^th starter.  That is where the depth comes in though.  What would the Cardinals then do with Joe Kelly, Lance Lynn who was an All Star selection this season, and then what about the Cardinals super prospect in Shelby Miller?  How can the Cardinals kick both Kelly and Lynn out of the rotation after one was an All Star and the other was a solid and younger alternative?  The idea of two young guys in the rotation next season at the back end of the rotation is a little scary, but wouldn’t it be exciting to have someone like Shelby Miller as the 5^th starter and Lance Lynn/Joe Kelly as the other.  There would at least be more upside than Westbrook offers.

My point is this, while Westbrook is boring and stable, he would more than likely be the 4^th best pitcher on a playoff roster.  While there is definite need for a solid 4^th pitcher, but what are the chances that one of the younger guys would take this slot in a playoff rotation?  Had Lance Lynn maintained his pace from the beginning of the season, Westbrook would have once again found himself to be a long reliever for a playoff team.  I am sure that Jake Westbrook is a quality person to have in a clubhouse, and I will admit that he even has stretches where he is an effective pitcher.  Westbrook is also a sinker ball pitcher who has a tendency to not come up with big performances when needed (see against Pittsburg).  Westbrook does offer some stability, but I will admit that I would rather give Shelby Miller a chance than take the safe bet with Westbrook.