Orioles open camp under cloudy sky, murky outlook

The forecast for their 2012 season is bleak, and there's no clarity to their plans for the starting rotation.

It's going to be a wide-open competition, especially after the Orioles traded Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies earlier this month.

"We have a lot of guys we haven't seen firsthand a lot, so that's going to be intriguing," manager Buck Showalter said. "It's just a matter of shaking it out. I'm looking forward to it. We have potential there and a lot of optional people if they can't do it. A lot of different ways to go. And there's depth there. The big thing now is getting everybody healthy and ready to go."

Starter Zach Britton and reliever Jim Johnson will be brought along slowly for health reasons. Britton is receiving treatment for inflammation in his left shoulder, but he's thrown twice on flat ground since Thursday without experiencing any discomfort. Johnson is dealing with lower-back stiffness, but he threw on flat ground Sunday and will progress to a half-mound.

"I had a little problem in the offseason and went and saw a doctor and we've been working on it," Johnson said. "Everything's fine. I'll just be a week behind schedule. It's taken care of."

Both pitchers are expected to be ready for opening day, though Britton isn't assured of breaking camp with the team.

Two starting candidates, Taiwanese left-hander Wei-Yin Chen and Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada, are getting acclimated to new surroundings in their first exposure to U.S. baseball. Showalter is prepared to make the necessary adjustments after managing Chan Ho Park and Koji Uehara.

"Part of managing those guys is understanding what they've done in the past, what they've been exposed to and understanding the changes they're about to go through and trying to be sympathetic to a point, but also preparing them for seven day a week, 162-game season," Showalter said.

Chen is being followed by a growing contingent of Taiwanese media, his every move closely scrutinized. Japanese media shot video of Wada tying his shoes at his locker Sunday morning.

Chen, who pitched four seasons in Japan before coming to the Orioles, could be the opening day starter or optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. None of the starters arrived in Sarasota with guarantees of seeing Camden Yards in April.