The Cleveland Guardians have one of the best defensive left fielders in all of baseball. That’s not an opinion but an objective fact, backed up by the data and his résumé.
That’s why it was somewhat impressive to see that Steven Kwan didn’t win the American League Platinum Glove award, especially after winning four Gold Gloves in a row. Instead, it was Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. who got the nod.
With that in mind, team analyst Paul Hoynes pointed out that Kwan may have been snubbed. In his latest column, he made his case for the Guardians’ star:
“I thought Kwan deserved [the American League Platinum Glove Award],” Hoynes stated plainly. “He’s been in the league four years, he’s won four straight Gold Gloves. We know what he can do in left field. Great in defensive runs saved, great in assists.”
Kwan’s future with the Guardians will be one of the biggest talking points in the offseason. He has yet to sign a contract extension, and while he’s still under club control through the 2027 season, the fact that he hasn’t put pen to paper suggests he’s not even close to that.
The Guardians turned down multiple offers for his services at this year’s trade deadline. Teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres were reportedly quite aggressive in their pursuit of him. Considering that, they might resume that hunt pretty soon.
Of course, it’s hard to argue that losing a player of his caliber isn’t going to make the roster any better. Then again, they might be able to fetch a stellar return for his services. Platinum Glove or not, he’s one of the best players in the game and deserves to be compensated as such.
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