How Steven Kwan's Time in Center Field Will Increase His Trade Value

The Cleveland Guardians and Manager Stephen Vogt announced last week that Gold Glove winning Left Fielder Steven Kwan will see playing time at Center Field this season.

This move is being made in Spring Training to help the team optimize its batting and defensive lineup. Moving Kwan allows for other players to play in spots they are most comfortable in, knowing Kwan will excel in fielding wherever he is on the diamond.

HOW CAN THIS HELP HIS TRADE VALUE

Jul 6, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) celebrates after hitting an RBI double during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

We are in the era of the superutility player. No longer do players play one position exclusively, with a few rare exceptions. This is even more true of outfielders. This is because angles do not move that much in the outfield, whereas in the infield, every second of reaction time counts on those hard-hit balls. You have more ground to make up in the outfield, but the ground can be made up. In the infield, the ball will just go right past you.

Having a perennial Gold Glove in left field like Steven Kwan has provided the outfield a sense of stability the last several years. But now, the team has an influx of young talent that can play the outfield and the infield. It is up to Vogt to get the best players on the diamond at the same time.

If you have someone who really struggles with center field but can field at an average level in left field, it makes sense to move your left fielder to center field and see if he can excel in that spot as well.

If Kwan can excel as a center fielder, a position that is known as the quarterback of the outfield, that will be a massive boost for his trade value. Left and right fields are where the players with weak arms and bad gloves play, so they can get inserted into the lineup. Center field is where the ball-dominant players play.

Kwan and his Gold Gloves will definitely need to make an adjustment going from left field to center field, but it is not a massive adjustment. He has the readability, the speed, and the arm to perform well in center, allowing young players and utility players to get time on the field and in the lineup.

How much Kwan will play center in the regular season remains to be seen, but getting him that experience is huge. Teams are often looking for dynamic center fielders at the trade deadline. Just look at someone like Harrison Bader, Luis Robert Jr, and Cedric Mullins. All center fielders who are talked about at length near the trade deadline. Bader has seen several teams the past few years because of it.

Now, if the Guardians want to trade Kwan, it will be immensely easier to do so if he has the experience of playing center field because it's the hardest outfield position to play, just due to the ground that needs to be covered. It also allows him to play his usual left field at an exceptionally high level. Oh yeah, don’t forget, Kwan is one of the best leadoff hitters in all of baseball and will be an upgrade at that spot for any team in MLB.

There will be some growing pains in placing Kwan in center field at times, but he's getting that experience and becoming more versatile, which will only help him throughout his career. It will help him land a better job at the trade deadline if he is moved, and it will help the Guardians get more in a package for him if they decide to trade him this summer.

All in all, moving to center field, even at a part-time rate, can only bring about positive things for the Guardians in the long term.