Astros sign Cust

[love_that_reefer]

The Astros have agreed to sign Jack Cust, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. It's a one-year deal with a club option for 2013, Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle tweets. TWC Sports represents the corner outfielder/DH.

Cust, 33, averaged 28 homers and 103 walks with the A's from 2007-09, but his power numbers have since fallen off. If he regains his form in Houston, he could DH for the Astros in 2013, when the team moves to the American League West. Cust, who has a career UZR/150 of -22.4 as an outfielder, figures to pinch hit and play left and right in 2012.

Cust posted a .213/.344/.329 line with three home runs in 270 plate appearances for the Mariners in 2011, when he earned $2.5MM. The Mariners released him in August and the Phillies signed him soon afterwards. There was no reported interest in Cust earlier in the offseason.

Carlos Lee and Jack Cust in LF should make for a lot of bloopers.

[missionhockey21]

Cust's power drain was weird, but it seemed to happen to several guys like him last year. If he can hit 20+ HR's with a .240+ BA, with his usual strong OBP, he should provide decent value for the Astros. Keep him away from lefties though... he hasn't been able to hit them in years.

[zodious]

Just weird that the Astros would spend any money honestly. This is a team at the end of last year was playing AA prospects in the majors. Why not continue to give those guys valuable PT in the majors?

[love_that_reefer]

Service time issues?

[love_that_reefer]

Cust is 0-24 this spring.

[love_that_reefer]

Cust was released today and...

Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that Jack Cust will sign a minor league deal with a National League team.
It won't be the Rockies and it's also fair to take the Astros out of the mix, since they released him Tuesday morning. Cust went just 1-for-25 this spring and is unlikely to crack a major league roster anytime soon.

14 other NL team's fans are praying its not them.