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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan made his second consecutive All-Star team in 2025. With the Guardians struggling for the most part — 46-49 record and in fourth place in the American League Central — Kwan's name has been mentioned in recent trade rumors. Aside from the obvious “he's a really good player”, why should the Guardians proceed with caution before dealing the outfielder to a contender in 2025? After all, it certainly wouldn't be the first time the small-market Guardians traded a star away.
Without further ado, here are three reasons why the Guardians must avoid making a Steven Kwan trade before the 2025 deadline.
Steven Kwan's play-style is rare in today's MLB
In the modern era of baseball, superstars are often defined by home runs and OPS. There is not as much respect for batting average, and defense is often overlooked. Much of what Kwan brings to the table is rare in today's game, and Cleveland should think twice before moving in a different direction as a result.
Steven Kwan positively impacts winning. He even brought the Guardians' small-ball attack to the All-Star Game by hitting a game-tying RBI infield single in the 9th inning. Kwan's .285/.345/.396 slash line and .741 OPS do not scream “superstar” by any means. He's also only hit six home runs in 2025.
Yet, this is a player who rarely strikes out, gets on base at a respectable rate, causes havoc on the base paths and plays quality defense in left field. Already a three-time Gold Glove winner in his career, Kwan has stolen 11 bases up to this point in the '25 campaign. He's also hit 20 doubles, so it isn't as if Kwan is only a singles hitter.
Kwan's 8.4 strike out percentage is among the best in the sport. While many sluggers are willing to trade more strikeouts for a bigger swing and additional home runs, Kwan excels at putting the ball in play and making defenses work hard.
Speed, defense and batting average may not be valued as much as over-the-fence pop in the modern era of baseball, but the Guardians will have a difficult time finding another star who does all three things at a high rate.
Guardians' outfield uncertainty
The Guardians have struggled to find reliable outfielders in recent years. True fans of the team will remember the days of Grady Sizemore, with his peak coming from 2005-2008. Since then, Cleveland has featured a few quality outfielders, but there haven't been many true stars.
Shin-Soo Choo enjoyed some big seasons in Cleveland after Sizemore's dominance. Michael Brantley emerged as a star in the 2010's decade. David Fry earned an All-Star selection a season ago.
However, the Guardians have endured trouble when it comes to developing outfielders for the most part. Pitching hasn't been a problem. In fact, the Guardians are known as a “pitching factory.” Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana, Josh Naylor, Jason Kipnis and Andres Gimenez are just a few of the infielders who have found success with the ball club over the past decade.
Outfield has not been as certain, though, so moving on from a star such as Steven Kwan presents additional risk for a team like the Guardians. There are no guarantees that Cleveland will add another star in the outfield anytime soon.
Kwan's contract with the Guardians
At just 27 years old, Kwan is still under team control through the 2027 season. Even if Cleveland doesn't sign Kwan to a contract extension, the outfielder will remain with the Guardians for at least two more seasons following the '25 campaign if a trade does not come to fruition.
Will the Guardians enter a rebuild? Possibly, and a trade can be seriously discussed next season if that ends up happening. For now, though, there is no reason to trade Kwan. Cleveland reached the postseason in 2024 and the Guardians could bounce back sooner rather than later. Building around Kwan and Jose Ramirez could become the team's plan.
The Guardians previously signed Ramirez to a contract extension. Perhaps Cleveland may consider signing Kwan to an extension as well. Extension talks have not been reported, but it is a route the Guardians should consider before going all in on a trade.
