Cubs linked to $6 million All-Star closer as trade deadline approaches

The Chicago Cubs are contenders, and they're also in the hottest division race of the baseball season all of a sudden.

With the Milwaukee Brewers riding a 10-game winning streak, the National League Central now has two of the three teams tied for the best record in Major League Baseball. That means as the trade deadline approaches, the Cubs will have their work cut out for them.

To stay ahead of the Brewers, the Cubs will have to keep runs off the board the rest of the way. They could certainly use another starter or two, but one way to take pressure off hte rotation is to build a lockdown bullpen.

Daniel Palencia has been awesome as a first-time closer, but his job might be made even easier if the Cubs bring in another reliever with closing experience. And the front office seems to agree.

On Monday, the Cubs were linked to Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan by The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sadahev Sharma.

"Kyle Finnegan does not produce the strikeout rates that light up the projection models, but the Cubs have the Washington Nationals closer on their radar as they explore ways to bulk up their bullpen," wrote Mooney and Sharma.

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"To be clear, the Cubs are fully confident in Daniel Palencia’s ability to handle the ninth inning. In this trading cycle, it’s questionable whether the Cubs could even find an All-Star closer who represents a clear upgrade over Palencia. Rather, the idea would be expanding options for Counsell as the Cubs prioritize matchups, rest and recovery for their pitchers."

Finnegan, 33, saw his season ERA climb to 4.25 after a rough outing over the weekend. But he's still got 19 saves this year and 107 for his career, and one would think his job would be a lot easier pitching in the seventh or eighth inning instead of the ninth.

Plus, Finnegan is only making $6 million this year, so he shouldn't cost much in terms of payroll or prospects.

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