The Cleveland Guardians had a big decision to make at the trade deadline. Multiple teams reached out to them to inquire about Steven Kwan’s availability, but they ultimately chose to keep the All-Star outfielder.
Now, with him still not having a contract extension, multiple insiders believe he could be on the trade block. With that in mind, insider Zack Meisel recently revealed the Guardians’ future plans for Kwan.
Meisel claimed that there is still a chance that the Guardians could hold on to him because, given his diminished offense in 2025, his trade value may not be as high as it once was.
“They deliberated it. They had a lot of teams that were interested: the [Los Angeles] Dodgers, the [Philadelphia] Phillies, the [Toronto] Blue Jays. Essentially, every contender called on him. They just weren’t overwhelmed by an offer at that point, and decided not to tear things completely apart. You think, ‘OK, it’s the Guardians, they typically don’t pay guys when they get this close to free agency, Kwan has two years of arbitration left, he’s projected to make about $9 million in arbitration this winter.’ But even Kwan admitted, he was really disappointed in his offensive output in 2025. You think about that, and you go, ‘Well, you’re probably not going to fetch as much now as you would have in July.’ The Guardians are also really desperate for offense. So, I can see them hanging on to him. They’ll certainly listen, they always do. But they know they need a couple of hitters and the outfield is already a spot they need some reinforcements,” Meisel said.
"There's going to be an influx of young hitting talent."@ZackMeisel discusses how the Guardians plan to utilize Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter in 2026, plus their future plans for Steven Kwan. pic.twitter.com/Q3ZTGg0Up0
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 15, 2025
The Guardians have a long history of not paying their best players once they get too pricey. Kwan is under contract through 2027, so they technically don’t have to move him, and he could drive his trade value back up.
Kwan is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. Even though he wasn’t as proficient at the plate as he usually is, he’s still much better than most of the Guardians’ lineup. Jose Ramirez already called out the front office for failing to provide reinforcements, and moving on from Kwan would not please their best player.
Of course, there’s always a chance someone will be willing to give up a prime trade package to acquire Kwan this offseason. But unless that’s the case, the Guardians have no incentive to take less than they would want in any deal for him.
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