Guardians' Steven Kwan Named As Shocking Possible Trade Candidate

The Cleveland Guardians' season is quickly falling off track as the team has now lost six games in a row and is 4.0 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League.

A few weeks ago, the Guardians were viewed as potential sellers at the trade deadline, but now that has flipped, with Cleveland possibly selling off some of its valuable talent to contenders.

It wouldn't be too surprising for the front office to trade veterans such as Carlos Santana and Lane Thomas, but The Athletic's Jim Bowden made a shocking revelation: some MLB executives believe Steven Kwan could be on the move before July 31.

The former MLB general manager polled some front office executives on which players have the best chance of being traded before the deadline, and Bowden wrote, "This shocked me, but multiple teams mentioned Kwan."

"Kwan, 27, is under team control through 2027 and is arbitration-eligible going forward. Perhaps the Guardians would consider dealing him for a more impactful power bat."

Apr 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) runs to first base after hitting a single during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

No, Cleveland's season has not gone according to plan after reaching the ALCS last October, but that doesn't mean the Guardians need to trade away the second-best hitter in their lineup.

Not yet, at least.

Kwan is having another stellar season, with a slash line of .292/.354/.413 and a .767 OPS halfway through the season. He's also making another strong case to win a Gold Glove in left field.

If the Guardians' slide continues in the second half and it's clear the team is heading for a rebuild, then an offseason trade or a deal at next year's deadline could make more sense.

However, trading Kwan sometime in the next month would feel like an impulsive decision.

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