Orioles Release Mark Hendrickson

The Orioles released lefty pitcher Mark Hendrickson yesterday, ending a three-year run with the club mostly spent in relief. Baltimore designated Hendrickson for assignment a week ago.

The 37-year-old spent most of this season in Triple-A after having a prominent role in the O's bullpen for most of 2009 and 2010, but he's never been particularly effective and presumably nobody in the organization ever viewed him as a long-term piece. After a ten-year run with five different teams, it wouldn't be totally shocking to see Hendrickson hang up his cleats.

The lefty peaked with a four-year run of decent success as a starter from 2003 to 2006, as he averaged roughly 2.2 WAR per season. He'll also be remembered for being very, very tall; a former NBA player, Hendrickson stands at 6-foot-9.