Baltimore traded Chris Richard and $175,000 to Colorado for Jack Cust on Tuesday. The Orioles began displaying interest in Cust in February at which time it also became apparent they were open to trading Richard; rumors of this trade emerged over a week ago.

Chris Richard came to Baltimore from St. Louis with Mark Nussbeck when the Orioles traded Mike Timlin to the Cardinals in July of 2000. St. Louis drafted him out of Oklahoma State University with their 19th round pick of the 1995 draft. He's displayed solid plate discipline, moderate power skills, and marginal speed throughout his career. Unfortunately, Richard spent most of last season rehabbing following off-season rotator cuff surgery and his arm still hasn't fully recovered. The Orioles simply felt the 28-year-old didn't fit on their roster.

In Colorado, Richard is expected to receive at-bats as a reserve outfielder and the primary back-up to Todd Helton at first base. Helton's back continues to threaten to take Helton from the lineup periodically, so the Rockies wanted a capable substitute. However, as Richard possesses an option there is a chance he will not break camp with the team or he will be sent down at some point, given the other bench options the Rockies possess.

Colorado acquired Cust with J.D. Closser from Arizona for Mike Myers last off-season. The Diamondbacks drafted Cust out of high school with the 30th overall pick of the first round of the 1997 draft, but analysts have almost always pegged him as destined for an American League organization, given his thus far limited defensive skills in the outfield. In Baltimore, he's unlikely to have much of an opportunity to further develop his outfield skills, as the Orioles consider their outfield already crowded and he will now have the option of DHing. Nevertheless, Cust still seems interested in improving his fielding in order to give him a broader range of opportunities for playing time, so he may attempt to work on that area on his own. However, his offensive skills indicate he may be able to hold a roster spot even if he's limited to designated hitting. Cust has displayed an excellent walk rate throughout his minor league career, and he also possesses moderate power skills. If he ever manages to improve his contact rate, he'll be an instant star.

I feel as though the Rockies were nagged into making this trade and should have held their ground and demanded more or retained Cust. While his skills indicate he's ready for a major league job, he has an option remaining so they weren't obligated to keep him on the roster. Sending him back to AAA for another season would have limited Cust's progress, but the Rockies could have waited for a better offer or used him in their own outfield in a year, when they should have more room. Regrettably, Colorado, like Arizona before them, waited until interest from Oakland and Toronto had cooled before deciding they wanted to trade Cust and therefore received little in return. I think Richard is a fine player and I like his upside a lot, however he doesn't appear to offer the Rockies anything Cust couldn't have provided. Richard is also four years older with a substantial injury history.

Meanwhile, Cust's arrival could hardly come at a better time for the Orioles. David Segui broke his thumb yesterday and reportedly will need at least seven weeks to recover. The 36-year-old Segui has found it difficult to remain healthy the last few seasons, though some of his injuries, like this one, have been accident related rather than a result of wear and tear. He has also not recovered quickly from his injuries. Consequently, I'm not inclined to share Segui's belief that he'll need much less time than the doctors predict for his rehab. With Segui unlikely to leave the disabled list until the end of April at the earliest, Baltimore suddenly has playing time available at DH.

Jeff Conine is expected to start at first base and the Orioles should carry seven other infielders, including Melvin Mora. Marty Cordova, Jay Gibbons, Gary Matthews, Jr., and B.J. Surhoff are all virtually assured jobs. Gibbons will start in right and Matthews will cover center. Segui's injury means that Cordova and Surhoff will both likely see some time at DH in addition to covering LF.

The size of the Orioles pitching staff will play a significant role in determining the break down of the rest of the roster. If they choose to take 12 pitchers, Cordova and Surhoff will have a larger complement of DH at-bats and Mora will spend more time in the outfield. Luis Matos is out of options, which gives him an edge on a roster spot as a reserve outfielder. Carrying only 11 pitchers opens up another roster spot for someone who could receive significant playing time as the DH. Cust will be competing with Larry Bigbie for that role, and Baltimore will have to choose either the 24 or 25-year-old lefty hitting first round pick. While both are prepared for the majors, Cust is definitely the current darling.

The downside for Baltimore in the Cust acquisition is that they don't currently have a clear opening for him. However, as Richard would have been in a similar position, and we've established that Cust has more upside, the deal is still good for the Orioles.