Kerry Wood, whose place in Cub history was assured for time immemorial the moment his 20-strikeout game ended in early May, 1998, is now just that—history. At least, in terms of his time in Cubbie blue. That was implied by the Cubs' acquisition of the Marlins' Kevin Gregg on Thursday and then confirmed by Cubs GM Jim Hendry. As quoted by Paul Sullivan in the Tribune:

"Honestly, we feel for his own good, and for the good of him and his family, there is going to be a longer and more lucrative deal somewhere else than there would be here now," Hendry said. "And it would be unfair to keep it dangling for another month or so and say, 'Let's see where the ownership situation is going, let's see what happens if we don't do this, we may do that.'

"He has been such a good citizen the last couple of years and always has come back to us for less money, and the chance to make up the difference he left on the table, taking the ball through thick and thin. And I really feel like the right thing to do for him and his family is don't put him in a situation where he'd have to do that again."

To land Gregg, the Cubs shipped 6-foot-4, 275-pound, 100 mph-throwin' relief prospect Jose Ceda to the Marlins.

From the Miami Herald:

The Marlins have been actively shopping Gregg, who stands to receive more than $4 million next season through salary arbitration. Matt Lindstrom is the current frontrunner to take over the closer's role next season.

Gregg, who has been the Marlins' closer the past two seasons, totaled 61 saves for the Marlins in 2007 and '08. But his nine blown saves last season was tied for most in the majors, and Gregg lost his ninth-inning role in September after missing time with patella tendinitis in his left knee.

He had surgery on the knee nearly three weeks ago and is expected to be ready for spring training.

Also from the Herald, regarding the 21-year-old Ceda, who came to the Cubs organization in the 2006 deal that sent Todd Walker to the Padres and has 227 strikeouts in 180 2/3 minor league innings:

Ceda was considered to have one of the best arms in the Cubs organization. Scouting reports say that while his change-up needs work, he throws a hard slider and a fastball that approaches 100 miles per hour. He has averaged more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings during his three seasons in the minors.

But his size...has raised eyebrows. His minor-league teammates fined him $10 in a kangaroo court for asking a young boy at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter to buy him ice cream when Daytona played there last summer.

I'm going to take more time than I have right now to say goodbye to Kerry Wood. He always struck me as a first-class guy and it saddens me to think that if the Cubs finally get to the World Series next year or anytime soon, it will be without Kerry Wood there to enjoy it.

Zero: the number of home runs Daryle Ward hit for the Cubs in 52 plate appearances as a pinch hitter in 2007. (Ward's pinch home run was a key blow in the Cubs' 6-4 win over Seattle on Friday.)

Zero: the amount of interest that the Cubs showed this winter in free agent centerfielder Torii Hunter. (Hunter told buddy Derrek Lee that if the Cubs had asked, he would have been highly interested.)

Zero: how much Jose Ceda enhanced his chances of getting from Class "A" to the big leagues in one big jump by allowing five hits and four BB in just two innings this Spring. (Ceda was one of nine Cubs sent to the Minor League camp on Friday.)

Zero: the number of at-bats Alfonso Soriano has gotten in the last six days. (Soriano is scheduled to return to the Cubs lineup Saturday, just a week after fracturing his right middle finger during a fielding drill.)

Zero: the number of hits Ichiro has in ten AB so far this spring. (That's five fewer hits than Ichiro's countryman, Cubs rookie Kosuke Fukudome, has collected in Cactus League play.)

Zero: the likelihood that I will EVER set foot in U.S. Cellular Field to see the Chicago Cubs play a "home" game. (Note: every time Crane Kenney opens his mouth, bad things come out.)

On Tuesday, the Cubs announced that they had extended spring training invitations to 19 non-roster players. The 19 include reliever Chad Fox, who appeared in 11 games for the Cubs in 2005 (1 save, 6.75 ERA in 8 IP) before blowing out his elbow. Fox, who hasn't pitched in the majors since sustaining that injury, was signed to a minor league deal last Friday and promised a chance to make the team this spring in Mesa.

Other notables--or at least semi-notables--include Koyie Hill, who was briefly Carlos Zambrano's very most favorite catcher last season, and outfielder Tyler Colvin, the Cubs' first-round pick in the 2006 draft who finished last season at Class AA Tennessee.

Another interesting name is Jose Ceda, the radar-gun-intimidating relief pitcher picked up in the trade that landed Todd Walker in San Diego in July 2006. Ceda was touched for just 14 hits in 46 1/3 IP last season at Class A Peoria, and in his last 23 1/3 innings, he held opponents to no hits. That's 'no' as in zero.

Tasty.

Most thrilling piece of information contained in Tuesday's announcement: pitchers and catchers report to Mesa in 29 days.