The word is the Rays felt they had too many outfielders already ahead of Rickard, so they opted not to add him to the 40-man roster, exposing him to the Rule 5 Draft. There wasn't a lot of buzz when the O's added him in December, but no one played better than Rickard from Day 1 of camp. And if his Major League debut on Monday was any indication, the Orioles may have uncovered a serious hidden gem.
Should Rickard, who started in left field, continue to play well, he could eventually take over the leadoff spot. He's a great example of how cool baseball can be at times.