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With rumors swirling around Cleveland Guardians star Steven Kwan, there have been many teams linked to the left fielder, but the latest shows the specific ball clubs that have the most interest. As the baseball world comes up with possible trades for the Guardians' player Kwan, Ken Rosenthal provides more insight into how his market looks.
In Rosenthal's most recent column on Tuesday about the incoming trade deadline on July 31, he spoke about Kwan and said he is “drawing a ton of interest” from teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Add other clubs like the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres to the list, as Rosenthal also reports that Cleveland does “intend to set a high bar” for Kwan, who is hitting a .287 batting average with nine home runs and 37 RBIs.
“Kwan, 27, is earning $4.175 million this season and under club control through salary arbitration for two years after that,” Rosenthal said. “He is drawing ‘a ton' of interest, according to a club source, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres believed to be among the teams in the mix.”
“The Guardians intend to set a high bar for their desired return,” Rosenthal continued. “The combination of Kwan’s age, additional years of control, and offensive, defensive, and base-running ability makes him perhaps the best position player available. He is more than six years younger than Eugenio Suárez, a rental, and his fWAR is 2.8 to Suárez’s 3.0.”
More opportunities for Guardians to trade Steven Kwan
While there have been reports suggesting that the Guardians will not trade Kwan ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, it won't be the only time the team can deal him, as Rosenthal suggests. With Cleveland having a couple more seasons of control, they could try this offseason or even the next two deadlines.
In regards to a contract extension, the likelihood of that is “slim” for the 27-year-old who is in the midst of his fourth season in the majors.
“While the Guardians’ chances of signing Kwan to an extension might be slim, this will not be their last opportunity to trade him,” Rosenthal continued. “They can try again this offseason, when they possibly could involve even more teams, as well as the next two deadlines and — if there is no lockout — the 2026-27 offseason.”
At any rate, it remains to be seen if Kwan gets dealt by Thursday evening, but if there is one thing for certain, there are a plethora of teams that have interest. It's up to the Guardians to decide if the return will be worth it, as the team is currently 52-54, which puts them second in the AL West as they are currently in a series against the Colorado Rockies with the second game on Tuesday.
