Things were supposed to be great this season for the Cleveland Guardians. Instead, it has not turned out that way. After the Guardians lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship, they have not come close to the same level of play. To put it mildly, life has not been great. A Guardians roster shakeup might happen in the MLB offseason, especially as they sit at 66-66. One All-Star player has become one of the Guardians' key trade candidates.
Cleveland has just +1120 odds to make the playoffs this season, according to FanDuel. Overall, that translates to an 8.2 percent chance. Returning to the ALCS does not seem to be in the cards for the Guardians. Likewise, a playoff push does not seem to be happening. Looking up at the Detroit Tigers has not been a pleasant experience.
One player has been steady this season. Yet, a second-half slump has made him a disappointment. While he is still an All-Star, he has also become one of the biggest Guardians trade candidates, and could be again in the MLB offseason.
How the Guardians have done
The Guardians have had a mediocre season. As previously noted, they are 66-66 and came into the day trailing the Tigers by 10.5 games in the American League Central. Additionally, they are five games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final wildcard spot, making it highly unlikely they will secure a spot.
What has gone wrong for Cleveland?
To put it lightly, their starting pitching has fallen off a cliff. It got so bad that the Guardians traded Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays. This rotation is currently 18th in the majors. While any of the starters could have been candidates for disappointing players, many of them are not on the trade market.
Tanner Bibee has not had the best season, going 9-10 with a 4.73 ERA. However, the Guardians extended Bibee to a new contract, making it unlikely they will trade him. Logan Allen has not been great, going 7-10 with a 4.35 ERA. Yet, it's likely he will return to Cleveland next season. John Means is currently out with an injury. Before that, he was 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA, so he will get another chance to make his mark. Slade Cecconi is 5-6 with a 4.41 ERA. Although those are not the best numbers, he could likely get another chance as well.
The team could add another rotation arm in the offseason. However, it does not seem likely they will trade any of their pitchers. Instead, they could go another direction, one that could be more drastic.
How Steven Kwan has done
Steven Kwan is one of the Guardians' trade candidates this season. Ultimately, this is a hard concept to fathom. Kwan is an All-Star, so how could he possibly be disappointing? Well, let's look at the numbers.
Kwan is currently batting .271 with 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 65 runs. On the surface, those are solid numbers, and they would be for any other player. However, Kwan had higher expectations and was expected to help carry this team, along with Jose Ramirez. Instead, he has fallen into his own slump, and it's possibly hurting his value.
Kwan is batting .210 with one home run, three RBIs, and 10 strikeouts in August. Additionally, he has an on-base percentage of .248 and an OPS of .260. Kwan has had mini slumps before. Yet, this seems to be one of the worst slumps he has ever had throughout his career. Kwan has always been one of the most consistent players in the lineup. Unfortunately, he has not been able to find the lucky stroke in August.
Why Kwan is a Guardians trade candidate
This could have been unheard of just a year ago. Now, the rumors are circling. Kwan wants to stay in Cleveland, but that might not happen. So far, the team has not extended him. Kwan will enter arbitration this offseason, and the team will still retain control of his contract rights for the time being. However, if they cannot agree to a mutual deal, then he could be part of the Guardians' roster shakeup.
The Guardians absolutely cannot let Kwan walk for nothing when his contract expires. If they cannot find a way to extend him, then they must trade him. The Los Angeles Dodgers expressed interest in Kwan, and that could be a boon for the Guardians. When the MLB offseason rolls around, the Guardians should discuss Kwan with the Dodgers. Significantly, an ideal trade scenario could see Cleveland get prized prospect Dalton Rushing, along with multiple other picks and prospects.
Kwan still has a lot of value. If the Guardians cannot extend him, then they must get all the value they can out of him. Trading Kwan could be painful, but it would be necessary to ensure they contend for years to come.
