The Guardians’ offseason picture got a lot more complicated the moment Steven Kwan showed up near the top of MLB Trade Rumors’ arbitration projections.
Matt Swartz’s annual estimates usually give Cleveland a list heavy on the usual suspects: depth pieces, fringe arms, and obvious non-tender cases. This time, though, Kwan changes the whole feel of it. Swartz projected the outfielder to make $11.3 million in 2027, his final trip through arbitration, and that number is a reminder of just how quickly the Guardians’ roster could start to look different.
Kwan has been a fixture in trade talk for most of the past 18 months because of his looming free agency, but Cleveland kept him through every opportunity and paid him the $7.7 million he was due in arbitration. Early in the season, that looked like a questionable call. Then he caught fire down the stretch, finished the regular season on an absolute tear, and closed the year as one of the best qualified hitters in baseball.
That late surge helped fuel the Guardians’ run to the American League Central crown, but it also set up a much bigger financial question. Kwan was always headed for a raise under arbitration. The way he finished the season sent that number climbing fast.
And that’s where the tension sits now. The Guardians usually move players before they get too expensive and too close to free agency, which is why Kwan still being on the roster at all feels notable. Cleveland does have younger outfield options who could step in, but replacing Kwan’s production would still leave a real hole.
He may not be the only key name to watch, either. Cade Smith was projected to make $5.5 million in his first arbitration season, and his case matters for a different reason. Smith already has 58 saves and an All-Star nod in his first three MLB seasons, and he is positioned to be the Guardians’ closer for the long term.
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Guardians Loss Put Cleveland's Next Roster Decisions Front And Center
The Guardians season hung in the balance in Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the White Sox, and with that urgency came an offseason conversation that was already starting to take shape. Cleveland has a cluster of free agents to sort through, including Austin Hedges, Rhys Hoskins, Nathaniel Lowe, Shawn Armstrong and Foster Griffin, all of whom have factors that will matter as the front office looks ahead to roster construction and the margins that can swing a year.
If the series reaches Game 4, Parker Messick is expected to get the ball, adding another layer to a team already navigating the pressure of October. Messick and manager Stephen Vogt both addressed the challenge of handling the environment around a game like this, a reminder that Clevelands present and future are suddenly colliding at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Steven Kwan Sends A Clear Message As Guardians Face Elimination
The Guardians have been here before, staring at another elimination game with their season hanging by a thread. Cleveland has stumbled badly in these spots over the years, losing 13 of its last 14 postseason elimination games, but Steven Kwan said there is no panic in the clubhouse as the team prepares for Game 3 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox.
Cleveland has already shown this October that it can shake off a bad start, rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the 2024 ALDS to extend its run. The challenge now is even more immediate after dropping the first two games of this series, but Kwans message was clear: the Guardians are not treating the moment like a lost cause. [Read more 🡒]
Vogt's Gavin Williams Decision Just Put More Pressure On Cleveland
Stephen Vogts choice to lift Gavin Williams in the sixth inning of Game 2 against the White Sox was made with caution in mind, as the Guardians manager said he wanted to avoid overextending the right-hander after 91 pitches. Williams had been working through a tough spot when he was removed following a single, and Cleveland was counting on the bullpen to keep the game manageable.
Instead, the relief group gave up more runs, and the loss left Cleveland in a deeper hole in the series. Now down 0-2 with the next games in Chicago, the Guardians face a tougher road than they wanted, and the decision to protect Williams only adds to the scrutiny as the pressure builds. [Read more 🡒]