The Cleveland Guardians and Steven Kwan reportedly agreed to a $7.725 million contract for the 2026 MLB season.
The Cleveland Guardians came to terms with their final arbitration-eligible player on Thursday, as Steven Kwan and the organization agreed to a one-year deal for the 2026 season.
There was a somewhat surprising aspect to this deal: the dollar amount was significantly lower than what was expected earlier in the offseason.
MLB Trade Rumors’ arbitration predictions have a history of being extremely accurate; they predicted Kwan to sign nearly a $9 million deal for 2026 back in October. In the end, Kwan’s salary for the 2026 season will be $7.725 million, per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins.
Even though Kwan is coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons, he didn’t end the 2025 campaign the way he would’ve liked to. After the Midsummer Classic, the Guardians' leadoff hitter hit .254/.310/.345, with an OPS of .514 in August.
Kwan admitted himself after the season that he needed to be better at the plate.
Aug 17, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) celebrates after scoring during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesStill, the 28-year-old finished the 2025 season with a .272/.330/.374 slash line and has a career wRC+ of 112. There are plenty of players in MLB who would love for those to be their numbers, but it’s just not what we’ve grown to expect from Kwan.
Offense isn’t the only thing that makes Kwan a valuable piece to Cleveland’s roster. He’s also one of the best defenders in all of baseball and owns four Gold Glove Awards in four seasons in the big leagues. It’d be interesting to know how this facet of his game factored into the contract negotiations.
So, what’s next for the Guardians and Kwan after agreeing to a deal to avoid arbitration?
In terms of where Kwan’s salary and team control sit now, he’ll make the $7.725 million for the 2026 season and will be arbitration eligible one more time next winter before becoming a free agent after the 2027 season.
It feels very unlikely that Kwan will hit the open market as a member of the Guardians, especially with all the trade rumors surrounding the All-Star leading up to the 2025 deadline.
Hopefully, Kwan and Cleveland can reach an extension that keeps the homegrown star in the organization for years to come. If they don’t, a Kwan trade sometime in the next year and a half would be the most likely outcome.