Jack Cust: Oriole Sleeper?

[GotowarMissAgnes]

http://www.birdsinthebelfry.com/beattie_Q&A.htm

Thought I would post this from one of the Oriole message boards I read. The most interesting thing to me are the comments about Jack Cust. He's put up some good minor league numbers but has never been given a real shot in the majors. It sounds like the Orioles are planning on handing him the DH out of the box to see what he can do.

[Brendo]

i took him in the rookie draft last year and he was god awful....AAA and bigs (not even mentioning him falling down on the 3rd base line)

seemed like he took a step back last year....I've always heard comparisons to thome, but nothing yet.....this is probably it for him in B-more....put up or shut up

[Guest]

A poor man's Russell Branyan. Do not waste your time with him.

[Bukoski77]

A poor man's Russell Branyan. Do not waste your time with him.

lol I opened the thread ready to give my take and you topped it..................... for the record mine would have been he is kind of like Adam Dunn, only worse in the field, less power, and more strikeouts........

Are the O's really going to hand him the DH? That seems pointless to me as they have good HR sluggers, a developing good bat RBI machine in Jay Gibbons, and good speed with Hairston and Mora. Where could he possibly fit into their everyday lineup?

[Jer19G]

A poor man's Russell Branyan. Do not waste your time with him.

lol I opened the thread ready to give my take and you topped it..................... for the record mine would have been he is kind of like Adam Dunn, only worse in the field, less power, and more strikeouts........

Are the O's really going to hand him the DH? That seems pointless to me as they have good HR sluggers, a developing good bat RBI machine in Jay Gibbons, and good speed with Hairston and Mora. Where could he possibly fit into their everyday lineup?

I guess they will try to use Gibbons consitantly at OF. Gibbons is a bad fielder though. Since Cordova and Segui are hurt I guess they have no better option than Cust.

[GotowarMissAgnes]

i took him in the rookie draft last year and he was god awful....AAA and bigs (not even mentioning him falling down on the 3rd base line)

seemed like he took a step back last year....I've always heard comparisons to thome, but nothing yet.....this is probably it for him in B-more....put up or shut up

That's simply not true about AAA. He batted .285 with a .422 on base percentage (though his power numbers were down).

In 72 at bats with the Orioles he hit .260 with a .357 OBP and a .521 slugging percentage.

If that's god awful, give me a bunch of god awful players!

Cust is a negative on average, but if he can post a .360 OBP and a .500 slugging percentage (which is what his minor league projects to), he could be a real steal, because I don't think he'll go before round 20 in any league.

[trevisc]

if you are interested in a guy like Cust then keep your eye out during spring training. I don't think he'll be that much of an impact with Javy stealing some games at DH from him. I just don't see Cust being a fantasy impact player this year.

[ukjohn]

Palmeiro and Segui will be the 1B/DH, IMO

[stabone76]

i took him in the rookie draft last year and he was god awful....AAA and bigs (not even mentioning him falling down on the 3rd base line)

seemed like he took a step back last year....I've always heard comparisons to thome, but nothing yet.....this is probably it for him in B-more....put up or shut up

Yeah, didnt colorado hve him and give up on him? If so whoever cant make it in colorado has problems

[Guest]

i took him in the rookie draft last year and he was god awful....AAA and bigs (not even mentioning him falling down on the 3rd base line)

seemed like he took a step back last year....I've always heard comparisons to thome, but nothing yet.....this is probably it for him in B-more....put up or shut up

That's simply not true about AAA. He batted .285 with a .422 on base percentage (though his power numbers were down).

In 72 at bats with the Orioles he hit .260 with a .357 OBP and a .521 slugging percentage.

If that's god awful, give me a bunch of god awful players!

Cust is a negative on average, but if he can post a .360 OBP and a .500 slugging percentage (which is what his minor league projects to), he could be a real steal, because I don't think he'll go before round 20 in any league.

dude he hit 13 homeruns in 400 at bats

if you want a firstbaseman with doubles power that MIGHT hit .285 again see Overbay, Lyle

I hopped on board thinking he might be a 40 homerun guy.......well he sure didn't look like it last year

If you want him in the 20th round, go nuts

I'll just take Jeff Conine or Erubiel Durazo....