Nicknamed "The Big Smooth" by his teammates for his unwavering calm under any circumstance, left-handed reliever Mark Hendrickson acknowledges his mettle was shaken a little in December when the Orioles decided not to pick up his 2011 option.
Hendrickson's wife had a baby in late November, his other daughter is 16 and doing well in high school and he didn't want to uproot his family from York, Pa., to continue his big league career.
"We didn't know what we were going to do, and we just did some heavy-duty praying and it all just sort of fell into place," said Hendrickson, who agreed with the Orioles on Monday to a minor league deal with a spring training invitation.
The contract will be worth $900,000, not including performance-based bonuses, if he sticks with the big league team all season. If he is in the minors all year, he would make $15,000 per month. If Hendrickson is promoted to the majors, designated for assignment and clears waivers and then goes to the minors, he would make a prorated $125,000 salary in 2011. Under that scenario, however, Hendrickson could instead choose to become a free agent and seek an opportunity with another big league club.
Hendrickson seriously weighed an offer from the Colorado Rockies — he talked at length with Rockies pitcher and former Tampa Bay Devil Rays teammate Jason Hammel — before deciding he didn't want to leave the area or the current Orioles.
"This is probably the best group of guys I have played with in my career, and my wife says this is the best group of wives and girlfriends she has been involved with in all the years we have been associated with this game," said Hendrickson, who has been in the majors since 2002. "That says a lot about the people this organization has in it."
Hendrickson, 36, was 1-6 with a 5.26 ERA in 52 games last season and is 7-11 with a 4.74 ERA in two seasons with the Orioles, making 93 of his 105 appearances in relief. He will compete for one of two available spots in the revamped bullpen, likely dueling with Troy Patton, Pedro Viola and recently signed nonroster invitee Clay Rapada for a chance to join Michael Gonzalez as the club's second lefty reliever.
He also could get a shot to compete with Jason Berken and Rick VandenHurk for the club's long reliever/swingman spot.
The Orioles originally were seeking a lefty specialist with a track record of retiring left-handed hitters and were a finalist for veteran Joe Beimel, who signed last week with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hendrickson waited on that move before agreeing to terms with the Orioles.
"Ultimately, if [Beimel] had gone to Baltimore, I would have gone to Colorado," Hendrickson said.
In his career, lefties have hit .267 with a .320 on-base percentage against Hendrickson (compared with .299/.346 by righties). In 2010, lefties hit .317 against Hendrickson while right-handers batted .311 off him.
Despite his down year, the Orioles remained interested in re-signing Hendrickson because of his versatility — he has made 166 big league starts — professionalism and preparation. Several of the club's younger pitchers have lauded Hendrickson, including Berken, who at Saturday's FanFest made a point to mention the example the 6-foot-9 former NBA player set with his work ethic.
Although there are no guarantees he'll make the club out of spring training, Hendrickson, in his typically relaxed manner, said Monday, "Really, I am not too worried about that."
Fiorentino returns
Former Orioles outfielder Jeff Fiorentino has agreed to a minor league deal and is returning to his old organization, an industry source said.
Fiorentino, 27, was not extended an invitation to big league camp, and is considered Orioles minor league depth at this point. He spent last year in Japan, batting .246 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 44 games with the Hiroshima Carp of the Central League. He was limited by injury and a stint in Japan's minors.
A third-round draft pick of the Orioles' in 2004, Fiorentino made his big league debut in 2005 at age 22. He also played with the Orioles in 2006 and 2009 and appeared in two games with the Oakland Athletics in 2008. Overall, the left-handed hitter has batted .270 with a .341 on-base percentage in 58 major league games.
Around the horn
Former Orioles pitcher Rodrigo Lopez signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. He was 7-16 with a 5.00 ERA in 33 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010. … Tuesday is former Orioles great and Baltimore resident Paul Blair's 67th birthday.
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Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec contributed to this article.