In virtually the same breath, Hendry said he told Wood and his agents that the Cubs would be going in a different direction with their closing situation. Wood, whom the Cubs drafted in 1995, came up in 1998, set the baseball world on fire with a 20-strikeout game that May and was the NL Rookie of the Year.

Wood battled elbow and shoulder problems over the years, but he came back in 2008 to convert 34 saves in 40 chances.

The crux of the problem is that the Cubs did not want to give Wood more than a one-year contract or a one-year deal with an option. However, Wood probably can get a three- or a four-year deal on the open market, and Hendry said he didn't want other clubs to feel Wood simply would return to Chicago for a lesser deal, as he did in the past. Behind the scenes, the Cubs are still skittish over Wood's health situation, which included time off for a finger blister this year.

Hendry was not ready to say whether Gregg or right-hander Carlos Marmol would be the closer in 2009. Marmol was an ace setup man and an All-Star this year, and he saved seven games. Gregg had 29 saves and a 3.41 ERA for the Marlins this year, and he gives the Cubs an option either for the eighth or ninth inning.