Analyst Explains Why Guardians Should Trade Steven Kwan

When looking at the Cleveland Guardians' current roster, a few players could be on the move this offseason, given how the organization has historically operated.

One of those players is Steven Kwan.

As I outlined earlier this offseason, there certainly is a case for the Guardians to trade Kwan this winter, but there’s also a good reason for the team to hold on to him, too.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand believes that now is the time for Cleveland to move on from the All-Star outfielder because his trade value could be at its highest this offseason.

“Kwan is entering the second of his three arbitration years, so while there is no urgency for Cleveland to move him this offseason, his trade value may never be higher. Kwan has posted an fWAR of at least 3.0 in each of his four years in the league, winning four consecutive Gold Gloves in the process,” wrote Feinsand in a recent article.

Kwan’s trade value could be high this offseason, as Feinsand mentions, but I definitely don’t think it’s the highest it could be when looking at his overall stats.

Yes, Kwan largely had another solid season, registering a slashline of .272/.330/.374, including 11 home runs and 29 doubles.

However, the 28-year-old mightily struggled from the plate during the back half of the season. After the All-Star Break, Kwan only had a wRC+ of 85.

Plus, this is now the second consecutive season the outfielder has lost it at the plate in the closing months of the season. A team could surely hold that against Kwan and the Guardians in any trade negotiations and try to give up a lesser package to acquire him.

Who knows? Maybe a team that was in on Kyle Tucker strikes out on him and free agency, gets desperate, and makes an offer to Cleveland that they simply can’t refuse.

That said, looking at Kwan’s pre- and post-All-Star Break numbers, the outfielder's value could go up if he gets off to a hot start in 2026, and the Guardians revisit a trade scenario closer to next deadline.