General manager Jack Zduriencik said he and Cubs GM Jim Hendry "had been talking about it for some time, but it never came together. I didn't want to give up Aaron."

After the Cubs dealt with Baltimore to get Olson, however, Zduriencik was willing to make the move to go younger and cheaper.

So it's Olson, not Heilman, who jumps into the battle for one of the remaining berths in Seattle's starting rotation when spring training starts Feb. 14. The other starters on staff are right-handers Felix Hernandez, Brandon Morrow and Carlos Silva and lefties Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn and Ryan Rowland-Smith.

Cedeno, who at one point was one of the gems of the Cubs' farm system, will get the opportunity to press shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt or second baseman Jose Lopez for playing time in 2009. Cedeno turns 26 on Feb. 2.

"Our goal is to accumulate talent in our organization while doing everything we can to compete in 2009," Zduriencik said. "When you have competition, that's a good thing. I expect both of these guys to come in and compete for a job."

Cedeno doesn't bring the offensive credentials of Betancourt or Lopez, but he is a slick defender. And Zduriencik and his new manager, Don Wakamatsu, are stressing defense as a way to turn around a team that lost 101 games in 2008.