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Astros Release Zach Duke, Jack Cust

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 27, 2012 at 7:33am CDT

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.

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Houston Astros Transactions Jack Cust Zach Duke

Quick Hits: Hernandez, Hamels, Grabow, Wells
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Marlon Byrd Drawing Interest
View Comments (25)
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25 Comments

  1. cseehausen

    13 years ago

    Ed Wade would’ve kept them on the roster until June.

    Reply
    • Eduardo Medina

      13 years ago

      100% agree…

      Reply
  2. venn177

    13 years ago

    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.

    Reply
  3. Rick Garcia

    13 years ago

    you must really not be playing well if you can’t make the Astros roster this year

    Reply
    • slr5607

      13 years ago

      Or they just don’t want to spend the extra money. They already know they will be horrible, why waste more cash.

      Reply
  4. Guest 4707

    13 years ago

    Cubs pick up Zake Duke in 3,2,1….

    Reply
    • Guest 4706

      13 years ago

      Yeah, they loved him so much since they tied a major league record by starting off a game with eight straight hits off him…

      Reply
  5. User 4245925809

    13 years ago

    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.

    Reply
  6. Skeeb Wilcox

    13 years ago

    Zach Duke was the man. Key word? Was.

    Reply
  7. RepOak

    13 years ago

    If you can’t make the Astros team, you shouldnt be playing in the major leagues

    Reply
    • rockfordone

      13 years ago

      Sad but true

      Reply
    • stroh

      13 years ago

      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).

      Reply
  8. MB923

    13 years ago

    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)

    Reply
    • goner

      13 years ago

       perhaps, but his career split vs. lefties is .280/.333/.418 :shrug:

      Reply
  9. WorldsBiggesDBack

    13 years ago

    I would be surprised if either Duke or Cust and any more major league success.

    Reply
  10. bigmike04

    13 years ago

    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..

    Reply
    • cseehausen

      13 years ago

       It was non-guaranteed, so basically it was a minor league deal.

      Reply
  11. angels4life

    13 years ago

    Didn’t the Astros’ GM say that with Escalona’s injury he’d consider Zach Duke in the bullpen?

    Reply
    • danieljmeyer

      13 years ago

       yeah, like 2 days ago. I guess he’s done “considering”

      Reply
  12. slr5607

    13 years ago

    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.

    Reply
    • Andy Forrester

      13 years ago

       Duke would put no pressure on Zito.  Duke can’t even hit Prince Fielder with a pitch if he was ordered to.

      Reply
  13. heatbeat

    13 years ago

    Duke and Cust sounds like a bad comedy duo. 

    Reply
    • Hordak Sanchez

      13 years ago

      yeah, but “Duke Cust” makes a great porno name….

      Reply
      • heatbeat

        13 years ago

        fantastic point

        Reply
  14. goner

    13 years ago

    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.

    Reply

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