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With the Los Angeles Dodgers looking to be active ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, one name that has been connected to the team is Cleveland Guardians star Steven Kwan. As the rumors will continue around the Dodgers and Kwan, the latest idea from an MLB insider suggests what the team could include to sweeten a trade for the Guardians.
Jon Heyman would take to social media and say that with Los Angeles being “one of many teams” with interest in Kwan, a package that could be offered would be highlighted by elite catching prospect Dalton Rushing.
“Dodgers are one of many teams in on Guardians All-Star LF Steven Kwan,” Heyman wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Dodgers could form a nice package starting with top catching prospect Dalton Rushing, who is blocked for years by MVP candidate Will Smith.”
Kwan is in the midst of an All-Star season where he sports a .286 batting average to go along with nine home runs and 38 RBIs in 101 games. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic spoke before on how Kwan has attracted “a ton of interest” from such teams as Los Angeles.
“Kwan, 27, is earning $4.175 million this season and under club control through salary arbitration for two years after that,” Rosenthal wrote. “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.”
Dodgers should expect a high return for Steven Kwan
While the Dodgers have been connected to other rumors regarding trades happening around the league, Kwan seems to be towards the top of their list. However, it will take a nice return to acquire him, as Rosenthal would say that it's expected that the Guardians are to “set a high bar for their desired return.”
“The Guardians intend to set a high bar for their desired return,” Rosenthal wrote. “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.”
Looking at Cleveland's situation, it does appear more likely that Kwan is traded after the situation around pitcher Emmanuel Clase, dealing with an investigation into sports betting, per Rosenthal.
“The loss of closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting did not simply deprive the Cleveland Guardians of their top trade chip. It ended any chance of the Guardians becoming a buyer, and likely increased the possibility of the team trading right-hander Shane Bieber and perhaps left fielder Steven Kwan,” Rosenthal wrote on Monday.
At any rate, it remains to be seen if Los Angeles lands Kwan or what other moves the team makes with the deadline on Thursday evening.
