Guardians Linked to Potential Trade Deadline Move With Reds

The Cleveland Guardians still have about three weeks to decide whether they will be buyers or sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline, and most seem to be leaning toward the latter at this point.

The Guardians have a bunch of pieces they could potentially move before July 31, and perhaps the most notable name is outfielder Steven Kwan.

Kwan has become a popular name in trade speculation, and given Cleveland's modus operandi, it would not come as a complete shock if the team does decide to jettison him in the coming weeks.

Cameron Zunkel of ClutchPoints has identified a potential destination for Kwan, naming the Cincinnati Reds as a viable trade partner for the Guardians.

Zunkel's proposal has Cleveland sending Kwan to the Reds in exchange for three prospects: pitchers Chase Petty and Zach Maxwell as well as shortstop Edwin Arroyo.

Petty is the fifth-ranked prospect in Cincinnati's system. Arroyo comes in at No. 7, while Maxwell (23rd) is more of an ancillary piece. Still, that would be a nice return for Kwan.

Kwan is under team control through 2027. so the Guardians do not have to trade him now. However, they could obviously reap a greater return if they ship out the two-time All-Star sooner rather than later, so a trade is within the realm of possibility.

Zunkel does question if the Reds would be willing to pay the exorbitant price to acquire Kwan. Cincinnati is contending for a playoff spot, but whether or not the Reds would want to risk mortgaging the future for Kwan is debatable.

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