The Cleveland Guardians have tried to stay afloat and keep their postseason hopes alive.
They’ve done so by going 12-6 in their past 18 games and finally waking up from their offensive slump.
Unfortunately, the Emmanuel Clase situation may have changed the plans for this team.
They might now consider being sellers, even in spite of their recent surge.
With that in mind, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports that the San Diego Padres have emerged as a legitimate contender to trade for Steven Kwan:
“League sources said the Padres remained among the teams in pursuit of Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan,” Lin wrote.
Kwan has been the second-best player on Stephen Vogt’s team behind Jose Ramirez.
He’s an elite defender who’s getting better by the year at the plate, and he might be the best potentially available player in the league right now.
He’s also on a team-friendly deal and will be under salary control through arbitration for the next couple of years, thus making him an even more appealing potential trade candidate.
Then again, that’s also why the Guardians should consider holding onto him for a little longer instead of rushing anything.
There have been conflicting reports about their desire to sign him to a contract extension, but even if they trade him, they don’t have to trade him right now.
They can always wait until the winter to gauge his trade market and maybe get a better offer.
Trading Kwan would essentially be giving up on the season, and while it might make sense to a degree, it would still feel like a disservice, all things considered.
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