Guardians Still Face Massive Looming Question After Trade Deadline

Let’s be clear, the Guardians don’t have to trade Kwan. He still has two and a half years of team control left and won’t become a free agent until after the 2027 season. 

However, Kwan is creating quite a nice resume for himself, and with that, will be do for a large payday once he does hit the open market.

Cleveland’s organization typically doesn’t retain its stars once their first MLB contract is up, unless that player is Jose Ramirez, who decides to take a hometown discount well under market value. Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, and Josh Naylor are some recent examples of All-Star position players who didn’t stay with the team long-term.

This reality is why the Kwan trade speculation is already starting to sneak into the mix. 

Kwan and the Guardians have reportedly held extension talks in the past few offseasons, but obviously, the two sides haven’t been able to come to an agreement.

It’s not too late for Cleveland to sign their star left fielder, and Kwan clearly is a fan of both the city and the organization. 

The Guardians should still aggressively try to sign Kwan to an extension, but if the front office doesn’t feel that he’ll sign the deal they present to him, they could look to move him sooner rather than later. 

However, at this point, this is a dilemma that must wait until the offseason.

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