2 Guardians Outfielders Named Trade Candidates For Rangers

MLB’s offseason has officially started, with the added condiment of a looming lockout starting on December 1 if the league and the union can’t hammer out the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Chances are they won’t do it in time, which means the coming weeks leading up to that date will likely be filled with moves and transactions.

The Cleveland Guardians are coming off a very good season in which they won the AL Central and made it all the way to the American League Championship Series. Even with all their flaws, they were two wins away from reaching the World Series.

Cleveland, like every other MLB team, has holes on its roster. They also have pieces to trade away, so expect them to be mentioned in rumors and trade chatter in the upcoming weeks.

In fact, CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa linked them to the Texas Rangers, who are looking for center field options for the upcoming season.

“Jarren Duran (Red Sox) and Steven Kwan (Guardians) stand out as center field trade candidates, though Kwan in particular will come at a high price. A cheaper, defense-first stopgap like, say, Denzel Clarke (Athletics) or Blake Perkins (Guardians) may be the best short-term option while Carter is on the mend,” Axisa wrote.

Kwan was nominated for the AL Gold Glove Award at center field after completing a smooth transition from left field, where he took home four straight Gold Gloves from 2022 to 2025. With the bat, he had a miserable first half that almost got him off the lineup and did get him removed from the leadoff spot, but he bounced back in a big way after the break and finished the regular season with his typically steady line of .282/.382/.349 and a 114 wRC+.

Kwan will be entering his final year of arbitration, so the Guardians may be open to a trade depending on the return package. In any case, they might be more inclined to deal away Perkins, whom they got in the Craig Yoho transaction before the deadline.

Perkins didn’t play for Cleveland’s big-league team and has a career line of .223/.307/.330 and an 81 wRC+. He is a no-bat, plus-glove option for teams.

In any case, expect the Guardians to be active in trade talks and deal away at least one outfielder.