The Chicago Cubs could be busy this winter. The team is looking to end a four-year playoff drought in 2025 and it could be looking toward any number of free agent acquisitions or trades to reshape the roster toward that end.

After slugger Cody Bellinger opted into his $27.5 million player option for next season, the Cubs have been the center of trade speculation and proposals that could move the veteran in exchange for some more peripheral improvements in other areas. But a new trade pitch from Jacob Mountz of FanSided would instead see the Cubs leverage their prospective talent to bring in a pair of win-now additions from the Athletics.

In Mountz’s pitch, the Cubs land All-Star closer Mason Miller and catcher Shea Langeliers in exchange for three prospects: Moises Ballesteros, Pedro Ramirez and Brandon Birdsell. But Miller is the clear headliner.

“Mason Miller is the most sought-after bullpen arm in baseball,” Mountz noted. “In his first full year as a reliever, the flamethrowing closer finished the season with a 2.49 ERA and a mind blowing 104 strikeouts through 65 innings. Miller consistently tops 100 mph with his fastball which averages higher than any other pitcher at 100.9 mph.”

The Cubs seem in clear need of a lockdown closer if they hope to make a deep run in 2025. The team’s bullpen ranked in the bottom half of Major League Baseball for total saves and total strikeouts this past season. And the saves leader from this year, Héctor Neris, is now a free agent. Landing Miller in a trade would fill his role in a big way.

Plus, the Cubs would answer one of their other biggest roster questions by adding Langiers as their primary catcher. Those additions wouldn’t come cheap and, by dealing Ballesteros, Ramirez and Birdsell in this proposal, the Cubs would be giving up three of their top 25 ranked prospects. But Chicago would be hanging onto all three of its top-ranked players in Matt Shaw, Owen Caissie and Cade Horton.

If the Cubs are serious about contending in 2025, Miller and Langeliers seem like savvy additions. If the A’s are willing to part with those players for the package outlined by Mountz, it could be a major coup for Chicago’s front office.