The Cleveland Guardians and Steven Kwan still haven’t agreed on a contract extension. He’s under team control through the 2027 season, so the Guardians might not be in a rush to get a deal done.
However, with the reported discontent about his current salary and other teams lurking, the situation is a major concern. The lack of updates makes it seem that there has been no progress at all in the negotiation.
With that in mind, analyst Andre Knott revealed the Guardians’ potential offer for Kwan.
“I think this is a big offseason. He wants to get paid what he thinks his worth is. To me, Josh Naylor got five years, $90 million. That’s like $18 [million] a year. We’ve got to be able to afford that. That’s a great deal. If he’s getting that, you would have to go to Kwan and go, ‘Hey, man. How about let’s do five [years] for $70 [million].’ I’m just throwing a number out there. I don’t know if it’ll take that. That is their issue,” Knott said.
Will the Guardians be able to get a deal done with Steven Kwan this offseason? @DreKnott shares his thoughts… pic.twitter.com/2ZCYS0ONKe
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 19, 2025
Truth be told, that feels a little low for a player of Kwan’s caliber. He’s one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, a fan favorite, and the second-best hitter on the team after Jose Ramirez. Of course, that’s not to say that he should get Juan Soto money, but he certainly deserves more than what former teammate Naylor got to re-sign with the Seattle Mariners.
Granted, Guardians fans should hope that Knott is close. That might be the only way the front office would be willing to keep Kwan around for the long run. Otherwise, he will most likely be on his way out via trade.
Multiple teams reached out to the Guardians to inquire about his availability last season. There should still be plenty of offers for the All-Star this offseason if the team has changed its stance and will reconsider letting him go.
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