Cubs could give Daniel Palencia fireballing friend at trade deadline — at a steep cost

Daniel Palencia has emerged as one of the better closers in baseball this season, rocking a triple-digit fastball and wipeout slider to a 1.57 ERA and 12 saves.

His performance has been crucial in a bullpen that's dealt with underperformance from and injuries to its original closers, Ryan Pressly and Porter Hodge. With Brad Keller now joining the ranks of struggling Cubs relievers, it's clear that the team will need to bring in at least one high-leverage arm by July 31.

Plenty of such options will be available at the trade deadline, including the Twins' Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, Felix Bautista of the Orioles, and Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals.

However, none of those players has quite the profile of Athletics closer Mason Miller, one of just four pitchers (along with Duran) to average more speed on their fastballs than Palencia this year. If recent reports are to be believed, it's possible the Cubs could pair the fastest thrower in baseball with the fifth-fastest.

What would a Cubs trade package for Mason Miller look like?

North Side Baseball's Matt Trueblood connected the Cubs to the A's, suggesting the team is looking to do some one-stop shopping at the trade deadline this year by building a package deal around multiple players.

Trueblood suggested that the Cubs could try to swing a deal for Miller and one of Luis Severino or Luis Urias, who would fill the team's rotation and bench holes, respectively. That lines up with his previous reporting of Miller's rumored availability this year after the A's turned away suitors 12 months ago.

The purpose of a package deal makes sense — if the Cubs are going to surrendeer a top prospect (or two or three) at the trade deadline, they might as well get as much bang for their buck. Miller would obviously be the crown jewel in any deal with the Athletics, but Urias can reliably play second and third base and has a palatable 91 wRC+ this season, while Severino has a 5.16 ERA but has pitched a ton of innings and a year removed from a strong season with the Mets.

Miller's 4.04 ERA looks concerning on the surface, but rest assured, he's still a dominant force in the back of the bullpen. His 2.86 FIP tells a much different story, as does his ludicrous 40.1% strikeout rate. With four seasons of team control remaining beyond 2025, you can be sure he'll be worth a pretty penny on the trade market.

However, given that the 41-57 A's are all but out of the race this year — and don't look particularly close to returning to the fray — they could cash in on their best trade chip and continue to build out a strong offense around slugger Brent Rooker and rookie All-Star Jacob Wilson.

Ignoring any other players involved in the deal, what would the Cubs have to give up to get Miller? Owen Caissie stands out as an obvious candidate, as does one of the team's top pitching prospects in Jaxon Wiggins. Given the A's need at third base, could Matt Shaw serve as a center piece?

Expect at least one of those three to headline any hypothetical Miller package; beyond that, a young, high-upside prospect like Fernando Cruz or Cristian Hernandez would probably grab attention.

Is that too much to surrender for a reliever with an ERA over 4.00 this season? You could argue that, but you could also argue that pairing Palencia and Miller would give opposing teams practically no chance in the eighth and ninth innings come the postseason.

And the last time the Cubs swung a blockbuster deal for a fireballing closer at the trade deadline, things worked out pretty well.