Steven Kwan has become one of the biggest names to watch in Cleveland’s offseason.
The Guardians reached the American League Championship Series before falling short, and now the focus shifts to what comes next. One of the main questions hanging over the winter is Kwan’s future, especially with the veteran outfielder entering the final year of his contract. Trade speculation has followed him for years, and it’s back in a big way.
Kwan turned in a strong 2026 season for Cleveland, batting .282 with three home runs, 32 RBIs and 85 walks while posting a .731 OPS. If the Guardians decide to move him, there are a few logical destinations that stand out.
Toronto looks like one of the most obvious fits. The Blue Jays cycled through outfielders last season, and Kwan would give them a steadier answer.
After missing the playoffs following a World Series trip the year before, Toronto has plenty of reason to make aggressive moves. Kwan would bring a reliable bat and a Gold Glove presence in the outfield, and the Blue Jays may be the most motivated team on the list, which could help Cleveland in a deal.
Seattle is another team that makes sense. The Mariners underachieved this season, and that could push them into a busy offseason.
They need someone with elite bat-to-ball skills, and Kwan fits that description. The two sides have been connected before, and Cleveland could also target some of Seattle’s young talent if talks heat up.
Then there’s Los Angeles. The Dodgers were interested in Kwan when he was on the trade block in 2025, and that interest could surface again.
Cleveland and Los Angeles could revisit those discussions this winter, especially with the Dodgers looking for more consistent offense. Kwan would give them a strong presence near the top of the lineup and help make the roster a little younger.
The Dodgers also have the kind of deep farm system that could give the Guardians plenty to work with in trade negotiations.
In Other News...
Guardians Free Agent Search Keeps Pointing To The Same Type Of Target
As the offseason market starts to take shape, the Guardians search for help keeps circling back to a familiar profile under Chris Antonetti: players with some track record, some bounce-back appeal and a price tag that fits a club that has to be selective. Michael Conforto, Dustin May, Paul Goldschmidt and Nick Pivetta are among the names that surface in that conversation, along with one other free agent whose fit also lines up with Clevelands usual approach to roster building.
What makes the list interesting is less the star power than the pattern. These are the kinds of targets that can make sense for Cleveland if the front office believes there is more value to unlock than the market is currently assigning, especially with budget constraints shaping every move. None of it points to a finished plan yet, but it does suggest the Guardians are once again shopping in the same aisle they have preferred before, where upside and affordability matter as much as the headline. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Their First Base Answer Closer Than Expected
Ralphy Velazquezs rise through the Guardians system has given the organization something it has been searching for at first base: a real internal option with impact upside. After being drafted in 2023 as a catcher and quickly shifted to first base, he put together a breakout 2026 season that showed why Cleveland has kept moving him along, combining power and contact across Double-A and Triple-A while looking like a bat that could fit sooner rather than later.
For a club that has been looking for more offense at that spot, Velazquezs development has become one of the more intriguing storylines in the system. The Guardians are expected to at least consider him for a major league look in 2027, and if his bat keeps trending the way it did this year, the question may not be whether he belongs in the conversation but how soon they are willing to make room for him. [Read more 🡒]
Chase DeLauter Has A Strong Rookie Of The Year Case
Chase DeLauter spent enough of the season making noise that his name belongs in the Rookie of the Year conversation even if it never made the finalist list. The Cleveland outfielders offensive production stacked up well against the 2026 finalists, and when you line his numbers up beside Kevin McGonigles, the gap is not nearly as wide as the voting results suggest. For a player who has already given the Guardians a real look at his ceiling, that alone is a meaningful sign of where his rookie year landed.
The separation came more from the fuller picture than from the bat alone, with WAR and games played helping explain why the finalists ended up where they did. DeLauter can still make a legitimate case that he belonged in that group, and Cleveland fans have every reason to view him as one of the seasons most impressive first-year performers. Even so, the voters choices are easy enough to understand, which is part of what makes DeLauters season feel both encouraging and just a little unfinished. [Read more 🡒]