Guardians' Outfielder Named Intriguing Offseason Trade Candidate

Kwan’s resurgent second half has fueled trade rumors surrounding him once again, with only one more year under club control after the 2026 season.

Mark Feinsand Identifies Steven Kwan as an Intriguing Trade Candidate

In a September 10 article, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand highlighted Kwan as one of 11 potential offseason trade candidates.

“The two-time All-Star has been dangled as a trade candidate in the past, and with only one year remaining until free agency and no extension seemingly in sight, Cleveland could look to move Kwan to bring back younger, more controllable talent,” Feinsand wrote. “Kwan’s counting stats are down this season (two home runs, 27 RBIs, 72 runs scored in 136 games), but his .371 on-base percentage and 4.4 bWAR are his highest since his 2022 rookie season, and he ranks in the top 10 percent of the league in strikeout percentage, walk percentage and Outs Above Average.”

Despite the lack of run production Kwan has provided in 2026, evident by just two home runs and 27 RBIs, several other metrics of his remain elite.

Kwan’s 20.5 percent chase rate and 9.9 percent strikeout rate both rank in the 97th percentile among all qualified hitters. Furthermore, his 8.3 percent whiff rate is second-best in baseball, only trailing the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Luis Arraez (7.5 percent).

Kwan’s defense, which has always been one of his calling cards, has remained great this season as well. He’s posted a +7 Fielding Run Value and owns a +7 Outs Above Average that ranks in the 93rd percentile in baseball.

While Cleveland would surely like to keep the level of production Kwan has provided, the Guardians are not known for giving long-term extensions. The only active players on Cleveland’s roster locked down for the foreseeable future are third baseman José Ramírez and starting pitcher Tanner Bibee.

Ramírez signed a seven-year, $175 million restructured contract extension in January, while Bibee signed a five-year, $48 million contract extension in March 2025.

That infrequency could work against Kwan’s case for a long-term future in Cleveland. Nonetheless, his impact and production are sorely needed for the rest of 2026 as the Guardians remain in the American League Central and American League Wild Card races.

Entering an off day on Thursday, Cleveland (74-73) sits two games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox but holds the third and final American League Wild Card spot by a game.

Cleveland opens a three-game series on Friday on the road against the Minnesota Twins at 8:10 pm ET.