With Cleveland still battling the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central crown, the Guardians’ offseason questions are already starting to come into focus. And one of the biggest could involve a player who has been in trade chatter for more than a year: Steven Kwan.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand laid out the basic logic behind why Kwan could be on the move, and it comes down to timing. As Feinsand wrote, "The two-time All-Star has been dangled as a trade candidate in the past, and with only one year remaining until free agency and no extension seemingly in sight, Cleveland could look to move Kwan to bring back younger, more controllable talent," Feinsand writes.
That possibility would not come out of nowhere. Kwan has been linked to trade rumors for over a year, and the Guardians could finally decide to act if they cannot get an extension done. He is 29 years old and is heading into the final year of his club control in 2027, which makes this winter a natural inflection point for Cleveland.
The fit is easy to understand. The Guardians need offense, and their winter checklist looks especially important with Jose Ramirez not playing up to his superstar caliber this season as he comes back from injury. At the same time, Cleveland operates with a lower payroll, so moving Kwan could be a way to add younger, controllable talent or land a package built around prospects or an MLB-caliber player.
Kwan has certainly done his part to keep his value high. In 137 games, he has posted 4.5 bWAR with 134 hits, 73 runs scored, 20 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 27 RBIs and nine stolen bases while batting .272.
His defense remains elite, but this season has also shown another reason teams will keep calling: Kwan has 73 walks against 57 strikeouts, the best walk-to-strikeout ratio of his MLB career. Even with a .708 OPS that does not jump off the page, his overall value has stayed strong enough that there should be plenty of interest if Cleveland decides to listen.
So the question hanging over the Guardians is simple. Will they keep Kwan and try to work out a long-term deal, or finally cash him in this winter? If the extension talks go nowhere, a trade would make plenty of sense for a club trying to maximize its roster and payroll.
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The Guardians have stayed in the mix in the postseason race, and that matters when you start talking about how much patience a front office is likely to show. Vogt has handled the challenge well enough that industry observers see his spot as secure for the foreseeable future, which lets the focus stay on the pennant chase instead of the dugout. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face One Offseason Rotation Decision Fans Will Debate
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Still, one familiar name hovers over the discussion: Shane Bieber, who is now a free agent after battling injuries and making only limited starts with the Blue Jays. A reunion in Cleveland is considered a longshot, which leaves the Guardians more likely to move ahead with the group they already trust while sorting out the uncertain status of Foster Griffin. For a team that leans heavily on pitching stability, it is exactly the sort of decision fans will debate all winter. [Read more 🡒]
Tanner Bibee Is Creating An October Decision Guardians Fans Didn't Expect
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Bibees recent regression has complicated the picture, with a higher ERA and more home runs allowed than the club would have hoped for from a frontline starter. Even so, his experience and ability to work deep into games make him hard to leave out of the conversation, and likely hard to leave out of the rotation entirely. For a Guardians team trying to line up its best October plan, the question is no longer whether Bibee belongs in the mix. It is where he fits, and how much trust the team is willing to place in him when the season turns. [Read more 🡒]