Why Failing to Extend Steven Kwan Would Be a Major Mistake for Cleveland Guardians

It's that time of year.

The Cleveland Guardians are just a few weeks away from the start of the 2026 MLB season, and with that, the organization released its promotional schedule.

While many teams around the league received praise for theirs, the Guardians instead were met with one major question: Where's Steven Kwan? He was let out of all promotional nights, not being showcased in memorabilia, bobble heads or jerseys.

The 28-year-old has been involved in trade rumors and contract extension discussions for a little over a year now, with no end to them in sight.

But if the front office isn't able to lock down the two-time All-Star and four-time Golden Glover, it would be a major mistake. They have the cap space, they have the room on the roster, it's all about making it happen now.

Following the promotional schedule release, Guardians sideline reporter Andre Knott spoke on the situation.

"Read between the lines... I think that's being careful of something happening," Knott said. "Go back last year, did you notice there were no Josh Naylor giveaways... You don't want to give a giveaway of someone you may not have."

While those comments from someone close to the organization would obviously signal that something is going to happen, Knott then calmed the storm a bit.

"I don't think they want to get rid of him, but also, you know, the Guards are one team that's not gonna overpay for him either," he said.

In 2025, Kwan slashed .272/.330/.374 for an OPS of .705, knocking 29 doubles and 11 home runs for a career-high 56 RBIs. He also put up some of the league's best fielding numbers, with 308 putouts, 13 assists and a 97.6% fielding mark.

The Issue Moving Forward

The decision to either trade Kwan or let him walk at the end of the season presents a few unique scenarios.

The first: a trade. This would ultimately be the best option for Cleveland, especially if they are seriously not considering signing him long-term. With how high his value is, at least for his defensive efforts, the team could get a good chunk of prospects and a short-term replacement in return. This would obviously signal, though, that the Guardians believe they have enough talent in the minors to eventually replace his role.

The second: letting him walk. This would be the worst possible option. If the Guardians played him for the next one to two campaigns, allowing him to continue thriving and carving out his role in left field, and then he just left, it would be one of the most disappointing decisions the organization has ever made. Kwan's an elite talent, and if you are just going to let him leave, you may as well get something back in return.

Currently, he's under control with the team through the 2027 campaign, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028. By that time, he will be entering his 30's.

The front office may be unwilling to extend him into that age range, mainly due to how many promising prospects they have right now. At the end of last year, they platooned Chase DeLauter, George Valera, Petey Halpin and CJ Kayfus, all players who could hypothetically play in the outfield moving forward. Kayfus is more of a first baseman than anything, but he did play 29 games in right field in 2025.

If Cleveland believes in them, and others still itching to make their debut, a Kwan extension might not be in the team's best interest.

A Kwan Contract

Earlier this offseason, he and the Guardians avoided arbitration, meeting on a one-year, $7.725 million deal.

Moving forward, he's likely to receive an extension, if the two sides have mutual agreement, anywhere in the range of $65-$85 million over the course of five years. Recently, the A's and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom agreed on a team-friendly seven-year, $86 million deal.

If Kwan is willing to be relatively team-friendly, while also understanding his value is higher than Soderstrom's, his contract could come out to be five years for $75 million, keeping him in Cleveland till his mid 30s. This would also net him roughly $15-17 million a year, a good value for his production.

The first look at Kwan in 2026 will be in spring training with the Guardians' first game set for Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3:05 p.m. EST. They'll take on the Cincinnati Reds.