The Cleveland Guardians are not built to spend like the big markets, and Steven Kwan sits right in the middle of that reality. He’s projected to make $11 million in his final year of arbitration, which makes him the kind of player Cleveland usually listens on. Instead, president Chris Antonetti says Kwan is staying put - and that decision could quietly help the Cincinnati Reds.
That may sound backwards at first. Kwan checks a lot of boxes for Cincinnati.
The Reds’ outfield production was a mess this past season, finishing at -5.3 wins above average, the third-worst mark in the majors. On paper, a contact-driven, elite defender like Kwan looks like an obvious answer.
But the price tag changes everything.
Kwan is one of the best bat-to-ball hitters in the game, and his glove is as good as it gets. He’s also moved toward a small-ball style that would line up with the Reds’ stated philosophy heading into 2027. Even so, getting him from Cleveland would likely require Cincinnati to give up several top prospects who are close to the majors, because the Guardians are in a playoff window and would treat him like a premium trade piece.
That’s where the Reds have to resist the temptation. Cam Collier, Tyson Lewis, Héctor Rodríguez and others could all be in the conversation, but moving players who could shape a young core for just one year of Kwan is not the kind of deal Nick Krall and the front office should be chasing.
There’s also the roster problem waiting on the other side. Cincinnati already has enough outfielders in the mix, and adding Kwan could block young players like Rodríguez and Carlos Jorge from getting the development time they need. And since the Reds probably wouldn’t be able to re-sign Kwan once he reaches free agency because of budget limitations, they’d risk giving up prospects for a short-term fix and then still being left with an outfield issue later.
It isn’t easy to tip your cap to an in-state rival when he holds onto a player with four straight Gold Gloves and 22 WAR over five seasons. But for the Reds, patience is the smarter play. Antonetti’s stance may keep Cleveland happy, and it may also spare Cincinnati from a deal that looks good in the moment and painful a year later.
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Reds Could Have A Cheap Answer To Their Outfield Problem
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Ward brings a more complicated profile than a simple rebound candidate. He turned in a strong 2025 season, but 2026 was a rougher run after he was traded twice, and the late-season dip has raised real questions about what kind of production comes next and how much a team should be willing to pay for the bounce-back bet. For a Reds club trying to solve an obvious need without blocking its longer-term plans, that kind of profile is exactly the sort of name worth watching. [Read more 🡒]