Steven Kwan is not only one of the best players on the Cleveland Guardians, but he is also one of the top leadoff men in the league.
He can combine contact ability, speed, plate discipline, and defense like very few ballplayers can.
If he had a little bit more power, he would be insanely rich by now.
He doesn’t, so he is yet to sign an extension, as the organization has tried to negotiate the terms of a hypothetical deal with his agency through the years with no positive results.
How likely is it for Cleveland to lock up Kwan to a long-term deal?
According to analyst Jason Lloyd, it’s unlikely.
“I just don’t see it happening… Can a team that spends this little really invest $20 million in a guy who can’t hit it out of the ballpark?”, Lloyd said on 92.3 The Fan.
⚾"I just don't see it happening… Can a team that spends this little really invest $20 million in a guy who can't hit it out of the ballpark?"@ByJasonLloyd tells @SportsBoyTony he is not very confident in the #Guardians extending Steven Kwan😳
🔊: https://t.co/JZcqhlDf2F pic.twitter.com/dg24nm4khO
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 18, 2025
Kwan, make no mistake, is an impact player: he has multiple All-Star berths on his resume, he can steal 20 bases, get on base at a high clip, and hit near .300.
He also plays Gold Glove-caliber defense in left field.
However, due to his lack of power, he is more of a complementary piece than the top dog in a World Series-caliber offense.
Taking a look around the league, every franchise player boasts at the very least 25-homer power.
Kwan has six this year and hit 14 last season, a career-high.
Perhaps a big-market team or someone who spends more than Cleveland could entertain the possibility of giving Kwan nine figures, or something close to it.
The baseball universe would be stunned if the Guardians went to those lengths to sign him.
NEXT: Guardians Predicted To Make Blockbuster Trade With Red Sox
