Blue Jays Should Pursue Guardians' All-Star Outfielder in a Trade

Should the Toronto Blue Jays pursue an All-Star outfielder on the trade market?

Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view a Cleveland Guardians hat and glove on the dugout railing before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have been very busy this winter making upgrades, but they recently missed on a couple of players who could have helped in an area of need. 

While it has been a strong winter for the Blue Jays with the team investing a lot of money in the pitching staff, repeating as American League champions is not going to be an easy task. Even though Toronto might be the team to beat on paper in the AL right now, there are a lot of other teams who aren’t far off. 

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The pursuit of Kyle Tucker, especially, was an indication that this is a team seeking to make some upgrades still. They offered the top prize in free agency, a long-term deal, before he ultimately took a creative short-term one with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

With the top free agent sluggers now all off the board, that makes sense for the Blue Jays, the team could turn to the trade market to make some upgrades. One player who could be a great player for them to pursue is Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan. 

Blue Jays Should Pursue Kwan 

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After seeing both Tucker and Cody Bellinger coming off the board and the desire to get better in the outfield, the addition of Kwan would be an appealing one. While he is a very different player from them at the plate, he is a Gold Glove defender and can provide a balanced approach for the top of the lineup. 

In 2025, Kwan slashed .272/.330/.374 with 11 home runs, 56 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. Even though the slugging numbers were down quite a bit from what he accomplished in 2024, he was still a very productive player at the plate. 

While the offensive numbers are solid, it is really on defense where he is great. For the last four years, he has been a Gold Glove defender, and that would be a nice addition for the unit in the outfield. 

For the Blue Jays, they have a looming issue following the 2026 campaign with both George Springer and Daulton Varsho being free agents. Kwan is under team control through the 2027 campaign, which provides them with some insurance for the following year as well. 

As an All-Star who is under team control for the next two years, the price to acquire a player of the caliber of Kwan wouldn’t be cheap. However, Toronto has a strong farm system and could pull off a deal. Even though he might not be Tucker, he would undoubtedly make the team better. 

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