Steve Johnson will be given an opportunity to compete for a rotation spot with the Orioles, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina.
Johnson made the most of his opportunity with the O’s last season, putting up a 2.11 ERA and a 3.46 FIP in 38 1/3 innings. While most of his appearances came out of the bullpen, Johnson did make four starts last season.
The bigger question is how the Orioles rotation will shake out. Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen are pretty much guaranteed spots after strong showings last year. Chris Tillman also showed a ton of improvement, particularly down the stretch, and should at least be penciled into the third spot in the rotation.
Behind those three, the Orioles have a bevy of candidates. The team’s depth chart on its site currently lists five players for the last two spots in the rotation, including Johnson. Top prospect Dylan Bundy is not a part of that list, but he’s expected to force himself into that conversation during the spring.
The club will also have to decide whether their former prospects, like Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton, deserve a chance over non-prospects who experienced success last season, like Johnson and Miguel Gonzalez.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the latest rumors from bloggers Chris Cwik, Jack Moore and R.J. White, follow @MLBRumorsCBS.
