From 2022 to 2025, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan racked up 16.6 fWAR (FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement), or 4.2 per season. He slashed .281/.351/.390 with a 110 OPS+, won four Gold Gloves, went to two All-Star Games, and became one of the best left fielders in the American League. That’s quite a resume.
His fall from grace, however, has been stunning. This year, the underachieving outfielder is hitting .213/.323/.262 with a 68 OPS+ before Wednesday’s game, well below-average production and much worse than the standards he has worked so hard to establish.
To be precise, Kwan has been struggling badly since last year’s second half, when he posted an 85 wRC+. So no, this isn’t an isolated rough patch. It’s a worrisome pattern.
The Guardians had a chance to trade Kwan last year, but the move didn’t materialize, and he stayed put. Now, his future in the organization is in question.
Cleveland sports analyst Bruce Drennan discussed an increasingly likely scenario in which Kwan isn’t part of the Guardians’ long-term plans and said the team wouldn’t miss him if he’s eventually gone.
“Let me say this about Kwan. Even if he flees, I think we’ve seen enough from these kids that we won’t miss him. Bazzana could be the leadoff man. I like Kwan a lot, and I think Kwan can have a very nice finish to the season because he got off to such a bad start. It wouldn’t bother me if we lose him. It really wouldn’t,” Drennan said.
Has Steven Kwan played himself back into the Guards piggy bank funds? #GuardsBall
Bruce says the Guards don't even need to bring back Kwan because of how strong the lineup looks.
presented by @FanDuel https://t.co/UCxs9le8gJ pic.twitter.com/gaQOLUPUWL
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) June 10, 2026
Travis Bazzana has taken over as Cleveland’s leadoff man, which was the role Kwan filled from 2022 until he was replaced by the rookie this season. And there is plenty of young talent in the outfield to think about moving on without Kwan, who will be a free agent after 2027 but could be traded this year: Cooper Ingle and Ralphy Velazquez, two future offensive stars, are being tried in the outfield, and names such as CJ Kayfus, Petey Halpin, Khalil Watson, Nolan Jones, and George Valera are still in the club.
Additionally, 2025 first-round pick Jace LaViolette plays in the outfield, and we also have to consider the fact that if the Guardians make an impact move via trade at the deadline to shore up the offense, it will likely be for an outfielder.
Replacing the Kwan from 2022- 2025 wouldn’t be easy, but the team could probably manage to go on without him. This version of him, however, begs for them to find another alternative.
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