Steven Kwan’s long-term future in Cleveland is going to keep drawing attention, but for now the Guardians are saying the outfield bat still fits into their plans.
That doesn’t erase the trade chatter. Kwan has become one of the sport’s most dependable contact hitters and one of its better defensive outfielders, and that production has helped push Cleveland to the ALCS twice over the last two seasons. At the same time, the Guardians’ track record of not extending players beyond their original six years of control has made Kwan’s situation feel like one to watch.
The noise figures to get louder this winter. Kwan is entering his final year of arbitration and is lined up for free agency next offseason, which naturally puts him in the middle of offseason speculation and keeps the possibility of a deal alive ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.
Still, President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti made it clear late last week that Cleveland is not currently preparing to move on from Kwan. Antonetti pointed to the many possible outcomes that can come with a player reaching this stage, but he also said the Guardians expect Kwan to be around.
“I think our past history would say it could play out in a variety of different ways. There are certainly guys that have finished their term of control and gone to free agency. There are other guys that have been traded prior to the season, other guys mid-season, but a lot of that just depends upon circumstances,” Antonetti said (via Cleveland.com).
“As we sit here today, we’re expecting Steven Kwan to be a big part of a contending team next year.”
That language should quiet the idea that Kwan is on the way out right now, even if it won’t completely end the discussion. The Guardians’ organizational history is part of why this story keeps hanging around.
And if Cleveland ever did decide to seriously listen on Kwan, the timing could make this winter especially interesting. His value is probably as high as it’s going to get.
After a rough opening to the season, he caught fire in the second half and was one of baseball’s best hitters after the break, putting up a .353/.443/.432 slash line. He also stayed strong defensively even when the bat wasn’t carrying him.
A deal still feels like a possibility only if the right offer shows up. But unless there’s a major change in the offseason landscape, it’s hard to picture anything happening before a new CBA is in place. If the next agreement includes a salary floor or another push for low-payroll clubs to spend more, keeping a proven internal player like Kwan would make plenty of sense for a Guardians team that ranked 30th in payroll last year at $74.4 million total.
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