Guardians' Steven Kwan Could Shake Up Winter Outfield Market

On Saturday night, the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians will face off in Game 5 of the American League Division Series with the winner set to advance to the American League Championship Series to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays.

That's going to be the big story of the night, of course. But clubs around the league in need of outfield help should be tuning into the contest for another reason: Steven Kwan.

Kwan is a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner at just 29 years old. He's going to be a free agent after the 2027 season and FanSided's Robert Murray noted that it's "entirely possible" that Cleveland listens on him in trade talks this winter.

"But it’s entirely possible that the Guardians will listen on Steven Kwan in the winter with the star outfielder scheduled for free agency after the 2027 season," Murray wrote.

Steven Kwan Would Be Among MLB's Most Intriguing Trade Candidates

Sep 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) hits a single against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This isn't the first time Kwan has been talked about as a trade candidate. This past summer, he was also floated as a potential trade chip around the league before the trade deadline. In 2025, he was as well. So much so that The Athletic's Dennis Lin reported that the Guardians asked for Leo De Vries and more from the San Diego Padres for him.

If the Guardians do make a move this winter, it would absolutely shake up the outfield market in general. Right now, the top outfielders heading to free agency this winter are Randy Arozarena, George Springer, Trent Grisham, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Taylor Ward and Daulton Varsho, among others. If Kwan actually is available this winter, he's arguably more interesting than every one of these pending free agents.

On the negative side, he'll be a free agent next year. So, a team would have to pay a lot in the trade market and not be guaranteed to have Kwan beyond the 2027 campaign. But he also would be cheaper than most of the free agents because he's under team control.

Kwan was a 5.3 WAR player in 2026. Arozarena was a 5.7 WAR player, but is 31 years old. Arozarena is going to get paid well this winter, to say the least. Kwan's power numbers weren't there in 2026. He had three home runs and drove in 32 runs. But he slashed .282/.382/.349 with a .731 OPS in 151 games, to go along with elite defense.

If he becomes available, he's the outfielder every team should want, and therefore would certainly impact the free agent market.

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