The Steven Kwan trade chatter picked up fast after the Guardians’ run ended with a Game 6 loss to the Rays in the ALCS, and the Cubs have already been floated as a possible landing spot.
For Cleveland, the timing makes sense. Kwan is heading into his final year of arbitration, which is exactly the kind of contract situation that tends to push a player into the conversation as a potential offseason trade chip.
The talk has been loose so far, but FanSided’s Robert Murray said the belief among rival executives is that a deal could happen this winter. In his view, the Padres and Cubs are among the teams that could get involved.
Chicago’s appeal is easy to see. Murray pointed out that the Cubs may need to replace both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki this offseason. Even if the team feels good about Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez as outfield options, the offense would be staring at a significant drop if the front office doesn’t add from outside the organization.
There’s also a front-office connection that could matter. Carter Hawkins worked with the Guardians before moving to the Cubs, and that kind of familiarity can smooth the early stages of a trade conversation.
Kwan fits the Cubs on one level because he should be relatively affordable in that final arbitration season, which could help them preserve resources for pitching. He would also stabilize the outfield if Shaw and Ramirez are the starting options.
But the fit isn’t clean in every way. Kwan brings a high-contact profile, and the Cubs may be looking for more pop by 2027.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is unlikely to match the power numbers he posted in 2026, and Suzuki was the club’s next-best source of home runs. Happ, for his part, had been good for 20 homers every season.
Kwan, meanwhile, has never hit more than 14 home runs in a season since debuting in 2022. That’s the tradeoff the Cubs would be weighing: a dependable floor, but less power than they may want to keep in the lineup.
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