We’ve heard from time to time over the past year or so that former Cardinals G.M. Steve Keim was paid $1 million to testify in the arbitration claim filed by former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough. The connection isn’t quite that direct.
Keim, per attorney Mike Caspino, received $1 million as part of a “cooperation agreement,” which requires him to testify in any cases that might emerge. The McDonough case was one of them.
“At first he tried to hide that but it came out,” Caspino added during his recent interview on Doug Franz Unplugged.
Keim was obviously a key witness, since he was the person with whom Cardinals employees allegedly were communicating with burner phones during his five-week suspension in 2018.
It’s possible that the $1 million payment was part of a standard severance agreement. However, Keim specifically called it a “cooperation agreement” while testifying in McDonough’s case.
We asked the Cardinals for comment/clarification on the subject.
“Again, we have a completely different perspective than what Mr. Caspino is alleging but while the legal process is ongoing, we are not going to comment publicly,” the Cardinals said.
Obviously, any suggestion that the Cardinals paid Keim $1 million to testify could cause some to think that Keim said whatever the team wanted him to say. If the cooperation clause was part of a broader severance agreement that paid Keim $1 million to, for example, waive any and all legal claims against the Cardinals, there’s a far different vibe.
There’s a chance more details will come to light in connection with the litigation filed recently regarding the team’s reaction to the filing of McDonough’s arbitration claim.
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