The Cleveland Guardians just kept some semblance of hope for the 2025 MLB season alive by sweeping the Houston Astros in three games on the heels of a repugnant 10-game losing skid.
After wiping that losing streak away with an emphatic sweep, the Guardians are still five games under .500 and have the fourth-worst record in the American League, leading many to wonder if it’s time to sell heading into the trade deadline.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently identified Steven Kwan and Emmanuel Clase as potential trade targets in the coming weeks, and ESPN Cleveland’s Brad Stainbrook replied that if Kwan is traded, the city would lose its mind.
If the Guardians trade Steven Kwan, I fear for the emotional stability of this city. Cleveland would lose its mind. You don’t trade a player like that. https://t.co/sNug1JCqdv
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) July 10, 2025
Kwan is under team control through 2027 and is having another strong season with a .757 OPS, and it would be tough to sell this fanbase on trading a 27-year-old cornerstone bat like this while the rest of the team, aside from Jose Ramirez, is floundering at the plate on a nightly basis.
This team was three games away from reaching the World Series last year and followed that up by refusing to bring in the big bat or two that the lineup so obviously needed to get over the hump.
Now, the Guardians are having the season that many feared they would have and are in a tough position going forward with Kwan and Clase representing two outstanding trade chips ahead of the deadline.
Fans could likely get on board for trading Clase given how much he has struggled of late, but Kwan is the everyday leadoff hitter that should be setting the table for the next great Guardians team, not someone who should be shipped out with 2.5 years of control left.
NEXT: 2 Guardians Players Linked To Big NL East Move
