Cleveland Guardians fans are wondering how the team will invest the money they saved on the Andrés Giménez trade.
They erased nearly $100 million off the books, so people are expecting a big splash.
The truth is that the Guardians don’t necessarily have to sign a big free agent: they can also trade for someone.
A contract extension to one of their homegrown stars can be a viable third avenue.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports went through some key extension candidates around the league, and one of the Guardians’ young stars was mentioned.
“The Guardians and Kwan could do something like $7 million in 2026 (second arbitration year), $10 million in 2027 (third arbitration year), and $15 million in 2028 and 2029 (free-agent years). That would be four years and $47 million, which could be easily bumped up to $50 million through an option buyout,” Axisa said.
As the writer points out, the start of the spring represents a good time for teams to tie their own stars to long-term deals.
Rumors about a Kwan extension have existed for a while, and don’t be surprised if he is the one player in which the organization invests most of their resources.
He adds value at the plate, as he has a career 117 wRC+ and is coming off a 131 mark in 2024.
He is also a gifted baserunner, with 52 stolen bases in three years.
He has been caught stealing just 13 times over that span.
We don’t need to tell you that he also contributes incredible defense in left field, with three straight Gold Gloves.
Axisa believes that the overall package is good enough for a four-year deal approaching $50 million, potentially more if a club option is included and exercised.
It’s true that Kwan doesn’t really have much power, but he boasts elite plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, unlike Giménez.
He has averaged exactly 4.0 fWAR in his first three seasons in The Show, making that potential contract a bargain.
NEXT: Analyst Names Guardians Trade Among Favorite Offseason Moves
