Padres, Dodgers Among Teams Targeting All-Star Outfielder in Blockbuster Trade

The San Diego Padres are eyeing a giant move ahead of the trade deadline, but the question still remains as to where the move will be made.

With outfield depth and another bat needed ahead of July 31, the Friars have been linked to Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan as someone who could meet both of those needs.

At 27 years old, Kwan is a three-time Gold Glove award winner and just earned his second All-Star nod this year. He is currently batting .287/.351/.411 with a .762 OPS, and has an OPS+ of 111, which is 11percent higher than the league average.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that not just the Padres are interested in Kwan, but the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies are believed to be in the mix, too.

As for Kwan's contract, he still has two more seasons of team control before becoming a free agent in 2028, which can be valuable for the team that he is on at the start of August, but would also require a major haul should a deal arise.

Kwan's value for the Padres can be similar to that of Luis Arraez as a contact hitter who rarely strikes out and loves to get on base.

The left fielder is second to just Arraez in terms of swing-and-miss rate, doing so just nine percent of the time (both are in the 100th percentile across MLB). He strikes out just 8.4 percent of the time, good for the 99th percentile.

On defense, Kwan has an incredible arm, earning an Arm Value ranking of 5 per Baseball Savant, which is also in the 100th percentile among qualified fielders.

As for what the Padres can offer in return, it is not a question of if a top prospect will be included, but the thought is that multiple top prospects will be included in a would-be deal.

Nobody knows Kwan's value more than Cleveland, and with no intentions of signing him long-term, it appears that the price tag will be steep to add this kind of value ahead of the postseason — and for the next few years.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.