There were a lot of rumors about Steven Kwan potentially being traded around last year’s trade deadline. Those rumors popped up a bit this offseason, though not as loud, yet Opening Day is right around the corner and Kwan will be taking his rightful place in the outfield and atop the lineup for the Cleveland Guardians once again.
Kwan is under contract for two more years before he hits free agency, so for a team that spends less than almost any team in baseball, it’s important to pay Kwan as early as possible. That price tag will go up the closer he gets to free agency, and unless a deal gets done before that happens, his days in Cleveland could be numbered.
Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com recently touched on the topic in an article and shared what he has heard on the extension front. He said there hasn’t been any discussion of an extension and suggested that Kwan’s projected move to center field will raise his price tag and show the rest of the league how flexible he is.
“There’s been no word on a possible Kwan extension. Kwan did say he was all for the move to center field, leaving the comfort zone of left field for a new challenge. The Guardians had to appreciate that even if he doesn’t sign an extension. It also gave the 29 other big-league teams a glance at his personality and team-first attitude should he become a free agent after the 2027 season,” Hoynes wrote.
Stephen Vogt isn’t worried about Kwan’s position change and hasn’t flat-out said exactly what the plan is, but it’s becoming more and more clear that Kwan will be in center the majority of the time in 2026. As Hoynes alluded to, moving Kwan to center likely makes it harder to extend him, but it will keep some pressure off the young outfielders.
Chase DeLauter and George Valera have All-Star potential, but easing them into the lineup at the corner outfield spots should make their lives easier. Both have also struggled with injuries for years, so it helps in that aspect as well.
Maybe the Guardians don’t want to extend Kwan. After all, if some of these young outfielders blossom, Kwan will hit free agency at 30 as a player with little power and as someone who relies quite a bit on his speed.
Teams have been reluctant to pay players of that archetype in the past. We’ll see if Kwan can buck the trend and if the Guardians show any interest in getting something done.
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