The Cleveland Guardians have one of the best left fielders in baseball. Steven Kwan has emerged as a unique offensive player and one of the most proficient defenders out there.
Unfortunately, he may not be in Cleveland much longer. There are multiple teams reportedly interested in him, and he could be one of the hottest trade targets this offseason.
With that in mind, ESPN insider Bradford Doolittle urged the Guardians to trade the All-Star outfielder to an AL rival.
“The Cleveland Guardians should trade Steven Kwan to the [Seattle] Mariners,” Doolittle wrote. “I love this idea so much. Kwan would return to the West Coast, about a four-hour drive from Corvallis, where he starred for Oregon State. He would give the Mariners a needed upgrade at a corner outfield spot, teaming with Julio Rodriguez to improve Seattle’s outfield defense. Most importantly, he could slide into the leadoff spot, offering contact and OBP as a poor man’s Ichiro [Suzuki], hitting in front of Cal Raleigh, Rodriguez, and his old Cleveland teammate, Josh Naylor. Let’s get this done.”
Of course, that makes perfect sense for Seattle. The Mariners knocked on the door of the World Series last season, and it feels like they’re just a couple of pieces away from breaking through.
However, the Guardians shouldn’t even consider parting with Kwan unless they get a stellar return. He is their second-best player behind Jose Ramirez, and he’s under club control through the 2027 season.
The Guardians have unsuccessfully tried to get Kwan to sign a contract extension. Even so, the fact that they chose to keep him despite getting some valuable offers at last season’s trade deadline shows that they really value him.
Finding some middle ground and getting him to stay for the long run would obviously be the best scenario for the Guardians. But if that’s not possible, they need to make sure to get a prime trade package to make up for his loss.
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