UPDATED: Jack Cust designated for assignment

PHOENIX - MARCH 01: Jack Cust of the Oakland Athletics poses during photo media day at the Athletics spring training complex on March 1, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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UPDATE: Cust told Slusser on Sunday that he thinks the A’s made a bad move by giving up on him. It sure sounds like he would rather move on to another club:

“I think it’s messed up,” Cust said. “They’re going to go on 50 at-bats after three years of what I’ve done here? It’s ridiculous. A lot of other guys have had bad springs. This is a joke. ... The fact is, this team has no power and they’ve just released a guy who (averaged 28 homers) the last three years. That’s amazing.”

Cust went 11-for-51 this spring (.216) with one home run and three RBI.

SATURDAY, 8:26pm: MLB.com’s Jane Lee confirms that Cust has been DFA’d. Slusser adds that he might be open to accepting a minor league assignment.

8:20pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle has been all over the A’s news beat this afternoon and passes along this interesting tweet:

Cust to be designated. That’s what I’m hearing but it’s not official by any means.

Slusser, of course, is talking about Jack Cust, the man who hit .240/.356/.417 last season with 25 home runs and 70 RBI and was re-signed to a $2.65 million contract this winter. He lacks versatility and all, but it sure seems like the guy would be useful as a DH or late-innings pinch-hitter for Oakland this season. If he is cast off, you can bet that a few teams will be phoning Athletics general manager Billy Beane.