Astros Agree to Sign Jack Cust to a One-Year Deal
Ken Rosenthal reported that the Astros agreed to sign Jack Cust to a two-year deal, but Zachary Levine tweeted that the deal was only for one year with a club option for the second year based on someone with knowledge of the deal. MLBTradeRumors had this to say about the signing.
The Astros projected starting outfield figured to be J.D. Martinez in left, Jordan Schafer in center, and Brian Bogusevic in right. Other options included Travis Buck, J.B. Shuck, Jason Bourgeois, and Fernando Martinez.
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conroestro
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It's a 1 year deal with club option for 2nd year
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford
Jack Cust has the potential of being a good pinch hitter with more power off the bench than Buck, Shuck, F-Mart, or Bourgeois can provide. But he’s really limited to a PH role because his defense sucks so badly.
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford
Completely forgot we signed Travis Buck...
He probably spends most of the year at AAA, now that Cust has signed.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Jan 17, 2012 10:16 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Lol
jakelarsen Jacob Larsen
@
@brianmctaggart Again, Cust/Hou destiny fulfilled. Jack Cust was always DFA`d. Destined For Astros #amiright
13 minutes ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford
It just doesn’t make sense.
If wallace hits good in ST, wallace could provide some similarity or push Lee back to LF. Now we have JD in RF or primary bat off the the bench. Then you have Bogey, Shuck, Bourg. Schafer, and F-Mart, and JD fighting for remaining spots with Cust.
If wallace doesn’t hit, you send him back down and you have JD in LF, Bogey or F-mart in RF, Schafer in CF, then cust with Bourg and Shuck and Bogey if Fmart makes the team.
Just doesn’t make a whole
lot of sense. A good pinch hitter is not a need on this team. We need young guys getting opportunities.
by Subber10 on Jan 17, 2012 10:30 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm thinking the same thing...
…maybe Lunhow trades Buck? Idk, Cust, that I remember, wasn’t even a good pinch hitter.
I’m baffled, actually.
I LOVE THE ASTROS. Now lets win something!
by ccislanders on Jan 18, 2012 12:18 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Subber brings up an interesting point
Subber10 Brooks Parker
New question…who is getting DFA’d?
2 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford
Angel for sure. We need to try and keep our rule 5 and he’s not gonna get picked up anyway.
by MadMartygan on Jan 17, 2012 10:38 PM CST up reply actions
Probably not Sanchez
Someone has to back Lowrie up. Mar-go probably isn’t the best option.
Arcenio Leon is my pick.
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford
wishful thinking for angel, i’m probably more comfortable with mar-go backing him up, but too many questions about his bat to rely on him
If he can’t be the back up then we have to send him back. Can you really hide a guy all season like that?
by MadMartygan on Jan 17, 2012 10:42 PM CST up reply actions
It could be Mar-go, but I’d rather send him back to Boston right before ST ends just in case Lowrie or Sanchez happen to start the season on the 15-day DL. SS really needs insurance, so I’m remaining firm that it’s Arcenio Leon.
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford
Chicago
If we sent Mar-go back, it would be to the Cubs not the Red Sox. Boston took him from the Cubs on our behalf and traded him to us.
I'm not sure it matters this year
I LOVE THE ASTROS. Now lets win something!
by ccislanders on Jan 18, 2012 12:19 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
They still have to have backups for each position.
by MadMartygan on Jan 18, 2012 12:22 AM CST up reply actions
Just being sarcastic....
I LOVE THE ASTROS. Now lets win something!
by ccislanders on Jan 18, 2012 12:59 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
How can we hide him if he can’t back up SS? We’ve got Downs for 2b and 3b.
by MadMartygan on Jan 17, 2012 10:41 PM CST up reply actions
I agree. Especially with a team that will have to carry 12 pitchers.
by MadMartygan on Jan 17, 2012 10:46 PM CST up reply actions
Lol
SatchelPrice Satchel Price
So the Astros looked at Carlos Lee and Brett Wallace, then thought to themselves, “You know what we could use? Two years of Jack Cust.”
39 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford
Carlos Lee
Could the Cust signing indicate that the Astros think they’re getting close to a Lee deal? Even then, I’m not sure how much sense it makes, but it might make slightly more sense if Lee is traded.
I don’t think I’ll like it even with a move, but I guess I get why they’d do it.
by MadMartygan on Jan 18, 2012 12:20 AM CST up reply actions
I can't figure any other reason why they'd sign Cust
Other than Luhnow being very confident he can trade Lee, and not wanting Wallace at first base.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
I'm.lost.
I LOVE THE ASTROS. Now lets win something!
by ccislanders on Jan 18, 2012 12:21 AM CST via mobile reply actions
Simultaneously, a year early and 4 years late.
by Hal J on Jan 18, 2012 12:57 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
This rotographs article at fangraphs suggests this as the reasoning:
What’s likely happening is the Astros are paying him something near league minimum in terms of salary, looking to catch lightning in a bottle in order to have a club controlled DH headed into their big move to the American League at a fraction of the price. For a team with little to play for in 2012, that probably makes some sense.
Unless Lee is soon traded (which would make this a different story), it’s not much of a vote of confidence for Brett Wallace. Cust is a platoon player from the left side, and his playing time would most likely result from a full or partial platoon with Carlos Lee at 1st base. In the abstract, a Carlos Lee platoon isn’t such a bad idea.
I would like this signing more if Cust had a better probability of bouncing back. As the rotographs article indicates, the slender reed for hoping that his ISO returns is that MMP has a better park factor for LHBs than Safeco. Cust is a classic moneyball player, but those days probably are past him now.
Having said that, almost anyone attempting to tweek the Astros’ offense would recognize it as OBP-challenged. Cust is a career .377 OBP player. He had a 16.3% walk rate last year which is about 70% better than the best walk rate on the team last year. Bill James and RotoChamp predict a .351 and .371 OBP in 2012, respectively.
correction: got those reversed and a typo : .376 Bill James; .351 Rotochamps
By the way, if Cust achieved the Bill James projection: .237, .376, .401, .777 with a .164 ISO, that wouldn’t be so bad for a part time player.
However, I think that may be optimistic. But, then again, this probably is a Hail Mary type signing.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable that Cust has a rebound year. Berkman had one and a lot of people thought he was done.
Last year was the first year in his career, with significant playing time, in which he wasn’t an above average hitter.
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by Timothy De Block on Jan 18, 2012 7:19 AM CST up reply actions
The point is the arc of their careers not the actual value.
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by Timothy De Block on Jan 18, 2012 8:45 PM CST up reply actions
Fair point.
Maybe Luhnow has seen something which makes him think Cust will rebound and be a good asset at the deadline.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
Maybe...
Lunhow is bringing Cust in to teach the Astros how to take a freaking walk. 17% career walk rate. His contact rate (68.2%) is beyond terrible, but he has one major skill that is currently lacking on the Astros.
I also think this indicates that Lunhow is NOT okay with just trotting out Quad-A type players in 2012. My hope is this means Bogusevic is in Center and Schafer spends time in AAA.
Why would you put Schafer in AAA
He’s an above replacement level player in the majors right now. Bogey would be a poor defensive center fielder. Especially in MMP. I’m not convinced he’s much better an offensive player than Schafer going forward.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
Schafer has added 20 pounds this offseason. Now we just need to figure out if that’s peanut butter cups and funions or muscle.
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by Timothy De Block on Jan 18, 2012 7:42 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Schafer has also shown, in the data we have, to be below average defensively.
Follow my ramblings on Twitter .
by Timothy De Block on Jan 18, 2012 7:43 AM CST up reply actions
I’m not convinced he’s much better an offensive player than Schafer going forward.
both have solid minor league walk rates, Bogusevic’s BABIP in 2011 at majors was a little high at .355, that might come down. I wonder whether it is possible that he could be a borderline 20 HR 20 steals player or this is being wildly wildly optimistic.
I agree. I am nowhere near as down on Schafer as most are. For one the guy was given the Towles treatment in Atlanta and still has not really been given a fair shake at it at the major league level. I don’t see the Astros having anything to lose by giving Schafer that chance.
by conroestro on Jan 18, 2012 8:45 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
I was agreeing with OremLK. The comment didn’t get put where I thought it would.
by conroestro on Jan 18, 2012 8:46 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Because he's young, he's done nothing, and he's got maturity problems
And because I’d rather see an OF of Martinez, Bogusevic, Cust than an OF of Martinez, Schafer, Bogusevic from an offensive standpoint.
I mean rather than an OF of Martinez, Schafer, Cust.
I believe more in Bogusevic than I do in Schafer, by a long shot.
I don't
You say Schafer is young like it’s a negative—I view him as having much more upside than Bogusevic because of his youth and because he has better tools.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
so what's Schafer's ceiling
Michael Bourn, but without the GG defense?
If everything pans out (and I mean everything), Bogusevic could be an upgrade on Pence (no seriously).
Schafer has more power potential than Bourn
I don’t buy that about Bogey’s ceiling. Realistically speaking his ceiling is as a fringe regular. If he performs better than that I’ll be thrilled, but I’m not holding my breath.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
I would love to see Bogusevic excel like a Pence-level RFer. But I try not to get overly excited about his stats at the end of last season, since it was a small sample size. Bill James’ projections are often viewed as optmistic for offensive players, and he forecasts a .260, .327, .392, .720 slash line for Bogey. That’s not terrible if Bogusevic can produce a lot of defensive value in RF, which is quite possible. I think we need Bogey’s stats in a larger sample size at the majors.
After 2007-2008 when he hit 25 HR
in 3 pretty mangled and incomplete seasons, he’s got 6.
Personally, I think waiting for his power potential to return is a lost cause.
A lot of injury impacts in there for Schafer as well as a suspension. I think the question is whether he can return to expected form when he is completely healthy and playing on a regular basis. I don’t know the answer, but I don’t mind trying to find out, considering that he is still young, and the Astros don’t have any realistic reasonable options for CF. Bogusevic may be OK for occasional starts in CF, but I think it is a mistake to make him a starter in CF. In my mind, it transforms Bogusevic from a defensive asset in RF to a defensive liability in CF.
I want to find out too
I just don’t want him to find out on the major league roster. He has too much growing to do, and he can do that on the farm, where fans won’t feed his ego.
If he is the best CFer on the roster, he should be playing for the major league team. Unless the Astros acquire another CFer, I think he is likely to be the best CFer. I don’t really have any negative opinions about his make up. i have heard positive things as well as negative things. He screwed up with the marijuana arrest (though to be frank, that is not uncommon for a person his age), and he won’t get more chances if he screws up again. That’s up to him.
I wasn’t even referring to that. I’ve read scouts and people say that he’s acted as if he doesn’t need to learn, and that he believes he’s already talented enough and has tried to coast on that. I hope what I’ve read is wrong, but I’ve read a lot of negative things about his attitude. Like I said, it’s only what I read, but that’s all I have to form my opinions with.
Perhaps Shafer could use a veteran mentor on the major league team. I think Chipper Jones tried to fill that role last year, and he was upset when Shafer was traded. For all I know, maybe a guy like Cust can help with that role. The Astros don’t have many veteran position players left.
I have no quibble with that.
I want him to work out. But if I were to put money on an Astros’ “maybe” to succeed, mine would be on Bogusevic (who’s shown the work ethic to succeed in just about every way) or Fernando Martinez, who has a ton of talent and truly hasn’t been put in a good position to grow.
I totally agree that playing Bogusevic over Schafer in CF
is not a viable option, I merely think that Boggy’s ceiling may be higher than Schafer’s, irregardless that the latter still has prospect age and the former does not.
Sorry, I just am not a buyer on Schafer yet
He’s done zilch in the majors, almost-zilch in the minors. At some point, tools have to translate into production. To me, Schafer hasn’t shown the maturity required to recognize that it takes more than innate physical talent to succeed in the major leagues. And I think he has a better chance of learning humility and work ethic in AAA than he does in the majors, where he will get fawned over by autograph seekers and the Astros PR department. Maybe I’m pre-judging a guy I’ve never met, but I can only go on what I read, what scouts say about him, and what his previous club has indicated about his attitude. So far, he’s shown little evidence that he can perform in the majors, and plenty of evidence that he doesn’t have the work ethic or maturity to handle the required adjustments.
If anything, Cust is the anti-Schafer, and that’s why I kind of like him. He always had the power, but didn’t break into the majors for real until he turned 28. He overcame his deficiencies, at least enough to provide positive impact (he’s never had a negative WAR, per Baseball Reference, despite struggling with defense). Cust’s minor league stats look Hall-of-Fame worthy compared to Schafer.
Don’t me wrong, I WANT Schafer to succeed. Just in my book, he has a ton to prove and no indication that he will.
Seems like a strange use of assets.
But in Luhnow we trust, I suppose.
"Every time you go to that cook-off you get drunk as a poet on payday!"
Hoping we are dangling Lee
Detroit has a need now that they may have lost Martinez for the year.
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
I’m sure he is being offered whereever possible….whether the Tigers have an interest is another matter.
and if they are one of the teams on Lee’s limited no trade list or not is another big question. We are not just trying to move a player with a horrible deal (we will have to eat a lot), with declining production, we are limited in where we can send him.
by Crzycjunx76 on Jan 18, 2012 11:26 PM CST up reply actions
There are only 3 things that could make this signing make sense:
1. an impending Carlos Lee trade. I doubt this is happening because we’d be hearing firmer rumors by this point.
2. the FO thinks Bogusevic can be the everyday CF. Based on what we’ve seen, I think it’s fairly obvious that Bogusevic and JD Martinez deserve everyday playing time. The only way both can play (and the Cust signing is worthwhile) is if 2 out of Schafer, Bourgeois, and Shuck are the casualties of this trade, leaving Bogey as the primary CF.
3. It’s a minor league or non-guaranteed deal.
Doubtful that it’s a minor league deal, since it has an option year. My guess is that it is a very low base cost major league contract with performance incentives (probably something similar to J-Mike’s old contract) and a reasonable option price. Under the CBA, by the way, the difference between guaranteed and non-guaranteed contracts is less than it used to be. As I recall, the new CBA requires a team to pay a NRI a large percentage of the contract (70% runs in mind) if they are cut after spring training and decline a minor league assignment.
There are a number of configurations that could make sense to me. I just don’t know for sure which is contemplated by the front office. In terms of the player whom Cust would displace on the roster, I think it would be a lefthander. Perhaps the FO would rather not have a young guy like Shuck sitting on the bench. There is a distinct possibility that Brett Wallace starts the season in AAA. If Cust can play the outfield like Matt Stairs, I assume that he should be able to learn first base if necessary. if Cust could reach his career .850 OPS against RHP, he could be an interesting platoon with Carlos Lee, who had a 1.02 OPS vs. LHP. Most likely Cust is a LHB off the bench who provides the possibility of a cheap DH option for 2013 if he works out.
Looks like it was #3 and the contract is not guaranteed. At $600k it’s hard to argue that the contract does any real damage to Houston’s rebuilding effort and it has some potential to translate into several good things. If the move pans out, he can either be a very low-cost DH next year or be flipped for a decent prospect at the deadline. If it doesn’t, he’s released and Houston loses $400k. It probably comes at a slight detriment to Jack Shuck (and to a lesser degree Brett Wallace), but Shuck’s ceiling is low enough that stashing him in AAA can’t hurt.
by Snake Diggity on Jan 18, 2012 1:07 PM CST up reply actions
I really do not see Cust playing the field for us much this season if he makes the roster
He will DH (in inter-league), pinch hit, and play the very rare game in the field… it is kind of a tryout for next seasons DH spot and I think getting out of Safeco Field will do him a world of good. That place is not quite the Dome because it does not have as much foul ground… but it is a pretty major pitchers park.
Cust's deal is worth $600K
So very inconsequential financially. The only real negative to this signing could be the opportunity cost for younger players. Hopefully Luhnow has another move in the waiting.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
This could have been one of those the Astros were the only team that came calling deals. Obviously he compounds the defensive issue, but if he bounces back next year he could be one of the better offensive players on the team.
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by Timothy De Block on Jan 18, 2012 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
2012 Outfield
I hear the Astros will release Delome very soon! Delome was offered very few opportunities by Astros not respected by Bennett, Heck and Wade.
This is a good deal for Delome. A fresh start after two seasons cut short by shoulder injuries and he may see some big league time with another team.
You will be hard pressed to find a better athlete than Delome. IMO give the same opportinities a better upside than Shuck and Bogu.
Another team will give him an opportunity in ST and perhaps the new staff will allow him to battle for a position; not going to happen with Astros. I recently watched Delome in a batting cage in the Beaumont area and he has also put on 20 lbs; looks good, ready to move on.
Sorry, who?
DeLome isn’t on the 40 man roster, so Cust’s signing won’t affect him at all.
He’s also not really a prospect. 26 years old and hasn’t hit better than .256 since low-A Lexington at age 22. If he’s cut, I seriously doubt any other team signs him.
Also
If he’s not gotten an opportunity with one of the worst teams in the history of major league baseball, why would any other team seriously consider him for an outfield spot?
You missed the most important argument
I recently watched Delome in a batting cage in the Beaumont area and he has also put on 20 lbs; looks good, ready to move on.
He’s ready to move on based on that batting cage session. Teams will be lining up.
Thanks for the info. I always thought DeLome deserved more regular playing time, but at this point he’s too old to be considered a prospect and never really put it all together. He’s got a good combination of average power and average speed with plus defense for LF, but he just doesn’t get on base enough.
I doubt he gets a MLB ST invite. He may get a shot with some organization as a AAA bench OF, which, if he excels in that limited role, could translate into a better opportunity down the road and possibly even a short callup, but it’s highly unlikely.
I’m sure as a 5th rd pick he got a fat bonus and got very close to the big leagues, so if he has to call it a career, it wasn’t a waste.
by Snake Diggity on Jan 18, 2012 3:16 PM CST up reply actions
Also, if Collin DeLome is released, that will leave only TWO players from the 2007 draft remaining in the organization (RHP Kyle Greenwalt and LHP Colton Pitkin) both of whom could also be released before the season starts.
Has an organization ever gotten ZERO Major League innings from an entire draft? If you want to narrow down why the Astros lost 100 games last year to 1 reason, look no further than the 2007 draft. Other than the 3 trades involving ’07 draftees (Cusick for Hawkins, Bono for Lindstrom, and Cartwright for Escalona), that draft had absolutely zero yield.
by Snake Diggity on Jan 18, 2012 3:22 PM CST up reply actions
The Astros 2007 “draft” still makes my head hurt. It has to be the worst draft in the history of professional sports.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Jan 18, 2012 4:30 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Saw this on the Astros website and couldn't help but laugh
It seems we’re trying to re-invent Jason Michaels. The part that REALLY made me laugh was when the article said he lead the league in strikeouts from 07-09, setting a league record in 08. Yep, things are really looking up round here.
Ok, ok…to avoid being a complete Debbie Downer, Cust also lead the league in walks in 08 and has a career OBP of .374, as previously mentioned by the clack. Still, have to laugh at this. If Jason Michaels and Joe Inglett had a love child, Cust is what he would play like. FML
by Its Gonna Happen on Jan 18, 2012 2:30 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Cust could legitmately bat 3rd for the Astros in 2012.
There’s nobody else on the roster except for Carlos lee who can say that. If Cust’s job is Home Runs, Walks, and RBI’s…well, that’s what he’s good at. Jason Michaels really wasn’t.
I like this signing, even if I have no idea where he’ll play or who will sit.
I don't really agree
Cust is the definition of a TTT, bat-only guy. He’s not much like either Michaels or Inglett in terms of what type of player he is, and he’s been more valuable than both over his career. It’s a pretty harmless signing in $600k of non-guaranteed money. Best case he rebounds and we flip him for a decent prospect, worst case we lose nothing but a bit of cash and a handful of plate appearances.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
by OremLK on Jan 18, 2012 2:45 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Tatum got the DFA
Brian McTaggart @brianmctaggart 2m Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Astros have designated catcher Craig Tatum for assignment to make room for Cust
christ, what are we going to do for catcher depth?
1) Castro, not anywhere near 100%
2) Corporan, frankly, awful
3) Quintero, hero among men, backup catcher.
Who else we got in the system who is bordering major league ready?
There is not much upper level catching talent. Corporan, Cancel? I doubt Chris Wallace is anywhere near ready. Each of those options would require another DFA, as they aren’t on the 40 man roster.
I like what Cancel has done this offseason
by Its Gonna Happen on Jan 18, 2012 6:31 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
When we had the threads on F-Mart, I said my choices for cutting the 40 man would be a reliever first and Tatum second. The reliever got the cut. My reasoning on Tatum is that I think the Astros can find a better catcher for depth. Tatum, after all, was a waiver guy himself; he’s not that good. Luhnow said, about a month ago, that he intended to work on more catcher depth——so I took that to mean that he wasn’t wedded to Tatum. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some kind of catcher pick up later.
This. There’s got to be a catcher addition in the offing. Hoping for Chris Snyder or Ronny Paulino.
by Snake Diggity on Jan 18, 2012 4:51 PM CST up reply actions
So no Taters from Tatum this year huh.
by conroestro on Jan 18, 2012 4:56 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I wonder if Luhnow could acquire one of his former draftees, Bryan Anderson, on the cheap. He was famously blocked by TLR for some reason. When he was put on the ML roster, TLR wouldn’t use him. With TLR gone, though, that may no longer be the case.
Luhnow acquiring a blocked player is a much more likely scenario than a free agent signing.
by Snake Diggity on Jan 18, 2012 6:31 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah catcher looks slim
but I suppose that major league concerns are secondary at the moment to making sure we do not cut any talent that has a chance to be part of the rebuild.
by Crzycjunx76 on Jan 18, 2012 11:33 PM CST up reply actions
The only way I do think they make sense is if Carlos Lee is traded and if they don’t want to just keep a younger guy glued to the bench. It isn’t a guaranteed two year deal or anything so I’m willing to just say whatever. If Wallace looks over matched again and Lee is traded he’ll probably be a decent stopgap.
Given that this turns out to be a minimum non-guaranteed MLB contract, we’ve probably made it into a bigger deal than it is. I can’t see any negatives to this pick up——other than pushing Tatum off the 40 man roster. And I don’t think that losing Tatum is something that many fans will lose sleep over.
I wonder if Luhnow expects Tatum to clear waivers. I don’t know what options are out there for catcher but there still may be free agents available of Tatum’s quality.
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by Timothy De Block on Jan 19, 2012 7:16 AM CST up reply actions
Halfhearted defense of Cust's Defense
DRS and UZR/150 don’t like Cust very much, but it’s not as absolutely terrible as he’s getting credit (or negative credit, I guess) for. In his full-time seasons, he only averaged -1.0 dWAR (so he cost his team 1 win per season on defense) but his average of about 3.0 oWAR offset that.
The thing I want to point out is that all of those defensive innings took place in Oakland, which is one of the best pitcher’s parks in the majors. During Cust’s “prime” (if you want to call it that), the Coliseum ranked 29th, 26th, and 19th by Park Factor. In 2007, the Coliseum gave up approximately 25% more doubles that would have not been doubles in an “average” park.
So Cust’s defensive numbers really need to be taken with a grain of salt. He’s definitely not a good defensive outfielder. I think Astros fans can expect him to field no worse than Carlos Lee, but there’s a real possibility that Cust will be the most productive hitter in the lineup this season.
Cant we just draft Victor Roache and be done with the DH?
by Its Gonna Happen on Jan 18, 2012 7:10 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Not first overall
He’s not a candidate for BPA in my opinion. Can’t take bat-only guys with the first pick unless they’re a once in a generation type hitter. Roache will probably be gone by the time we pick in the sandwich round.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
I feel there is a pretty good chance we could see some other signings like this as free agency draws to a close and some vets looking for a club see their market dry up. I mean we all love the young guys that were brought up last season and we all see potential, but I do not think anyone would argue that most if not all of them have a lot of work to do on their game. If they make the big league club out of spring training that is awesome but I see no reason not to add some veteran competition to the mix.
Cust’s contract for example is not guaranteed at all for this season, so if he looks bad in the spring and some of the young outfielders look ready to go we could always cut him, but if J.D struggles, or if it looks like we will need a power bat off the bench because no one else is showing any pop, then we will have a player capable of filling that spot and allowing our youth to go to AAA, continue to develop, and most importantly, save a year of team control. There is also the possibility that we could hit big and find ourselves with a decent trade chip at the deadline.
I could very easily see us adding a guy who can play 2b/3b, a catcher, a reliever, and a starting pitcher… basically a little bit of everything. Of course it all depends on what players are left without a chair when the music stops, and who we trade(if anyone) between now and the start of spring training.
by Crzycjunx76 on Jan 19, 2012 12:33 AM CST reply actions 2 recs
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Cincinnati
|
27 | 20 | .574 | 0 | Won 2 |
|
St. Louis
|
26 | 22 | .541 | 1.5 | Won 1 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
23 | 24 | .489 | 4 | Won 3 |
|
Houston
|
22 | 25 | .468 | 5 | Lost 2 |
|
Milwaukee
|
19 | 28 | .404 | 8 | Lost 2 |
|
Chicago
|
15 | 32 | .319 | 12 | Lost 12 |
(updated 5.28.2012 at 12:18 AM CDT)
In Association With
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