Steven Kwan’s name has lived in trade chatter for more than a year, but the Cleveland Guardians are still carrying him into the offseason, and a move doesn’t appear close.
The All-Star-caliber outfielder remains on Cleveland’s roster, even with the possibility that a deal could eventually come together before next season. Still, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi said Sunday that the timing may work against any quick resolution.
Morosi reported that uncertainty surrounding what the 2027 season will look like could make the Guardians reluctant to deal Kwan for prospects in November.
That hesitation isn’t unique to Cleveland. Morosi pointed out that other clubs have players in a similar spot - trade candidates with one year of team control left - and may also be inclined to wait before making a move.
For the Guardians, the logic for holding Kwan is pretty straightforward. The current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, and a lockout could follow. One of the ideas floated in talks for a new CBA is a salary floor, and Cleveland would be in a tough spot if that becomes part of the next deal after finishing 30th in payroll last season.
If that kind of financial pressure does arrive, one obvious way for the Guardians to respond would be to extend players already in the organization, including Kwan.
That lines up with what President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said at the start of the offseason, when he said the team expects Kwan to return to the Guardians to begin next season.
A Kwan trade still remains possible this offseason, but if it happens, it may not come until much later.
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 🡒]