Devil Rays get Hendrickson in three-team deal

NEW ORLEANS -- Left-hander Mark Hendrickson went from Toronto to Colorado to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Sunday in a three-team trade that sent lefty Joe Kennedy to the Rockies and righty Justin Speier to the Blue Jays.

Hendrickson, 29, went 9-9 with a 5.51 ERA for the Blue Jays last season while leading all AL rookies with 30 starts and finishing second in wins and third in innings.

Speier, 30, was 3-1 with a 4.05 ERA in 72 relief appearances last season and had nine saves. Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi thinks Speier, Aquilino Lopez and Kerry Ligtenberg can combine to finish games.

"We feel we have three quality arms that can hopefully bridge the seven, eight, ninth (innings)," Ricciardi said. "We probably needed bullpen help more."

Hendrickson went 5-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 17 road starts and 4-5 with a 7.67 ERA at home.

"Away from SkyDome, he pitched very well," Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar said. "It's a very tough place to pitch. We think he'll pitch better not only in our park but throughout 2004."

Kennedy, who was Tampa Bay's opening day starter, went 3-12 with a 6.32 ERA. He made 22 starts before finishing the season with 10 relief appearances.

"He struggled mightily as a starting pitcher for us last year," LaMar said. "We had penciled him in to pitch in the bullpen and we needed starting pitching."