The Astros released left-hander Zach Duke and outfielder Jack Cust, Senior Director of Social Media Alyson Footer tweets.
Cust, 33, signed a non-guaranteed Major League deal worth $600K in January. The one-year contract had also included a club option for 2013. 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. However, the TWC Sports client averaged 28 homers and 103 walks with the A's from 2007-09.
Duke, 28, posted a 4.93 ERA with 3.8 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 49.6% ground ball rate in 76 2/3 innings last year. The 2009 All-Star owns a 4.56 ERA with 4.6 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 49.0% ground ball rate in seven seasons with Arizona and Pittsburgh. SFX represents the Clifton, Texas native.
Ed Wade would’ve kept them on the roster until June.
100% agree…
A DH that gets on base more than he slugs. If he could run, he’d fit somewhere. If he could field, someone would take him.
Poor guy.
you must really not be playing well if you can’t make the Astros roster this year
Or they just don’t want to spend the extra money. They already know they will be horrible, why waste more cash.
Cubs pick up Zake Duke in 3,2,1….
Yeah, they loved him so much since they tied a major league record by starting off a game with eight straight hits off him…
The rotation of the Pirates from 2009-10 is gone, except for Maholm now am thinking and hanging around on minor league deals.
Duke will probably find an AAAA type deal also, just because he is a lefty, but a soft tosser though don’t think he built along the Jamie Moyer mold.
Zach Duke was the man. Key word? Was.
If you can’t make the Astros team, you shouldnt be playing in the major leagues
Sad but true
I dunno. From what I saw in spring, these two guys would have trouble hanging on to AAA. And thus, no minor league deals in the offing (either).
I could possibly see Zach Duke going to a team as a lefty specialist
Last year against lefties – .225/.247/.324
Absolutely horrible however against righties – .353/.393/.498 (that’s MVP type numbers against)
perhaps, but his career split vs. lefties is .280/.333/.418 :shrug:
I would be surprised if either Duke or Cust and any more major league success.
Duke & Cust could land another deal just a minor league contract for Dept purpose, I am suprise Cust got major league deal this off season..
It was non-guaranteed, so basically it was a minor league deal.
Didn’t the Astros’ GM say that with Escalona’s injury he’d consider Zach Duke in the bullpen?
yeah, like 2 days ago. I guess he’s done “considering”
The Giants need to get Duke. They have nobody at the AAA level that can be a fill-in starter for an injured pitcher or put pressure on Barry Zito.
Duke would put no pressure on Zito. Duke can’t even hit Prince Fielder with a pitch if he was ordered to.
Duke and Cust sounds like a bad comedy duo.
yeah, but “Duke Cust” makes a great porno name….
fantastic point
interesting… last year, Zach Duke accumulated more WAR as a hitter (0.4 bWAR in 23 PA) than as a pitcher (0.0 bWAR).
meanwhile, Jack Cust was worth 0.1 bWAR in 2011.