MLB Insider Gives Update on Guardians’ Steven Kwan's Trade Market

Steven Kwan has been in trade rumors for well over a year now, but the All-Star-caliber outfielder remains on the Cleveland Guardians roster at the start of the offseason.

There’s still a chance that Kwan isn’t back with the Guardians next season and a trade centered around him comes to fruition at some point this offseason. However, one MLB insider reported that it might not come any time soon.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Sunday that uncertainty about what the 2027 season may look like could make Cleveland unlikely to move Kwan for prospects in November.

This isn’t just the case for the Guardians and Kwan, though. Morosi noted that other teams will have players in a similar position as Kwan (trade candidates with one more year of team control) who could be unwilling to trade them yet.

Other trade candidates that are in the same spot as Kwan and Cleveland include Seattle Mariners’ Logan Gilbert and Minnesota Twins’ Joe Ryan.

However, Morosi noted in the same report that sources told him the teams could move upcoming free agents for each other. Would the Guardians be willing to swap Kwan for Gilbert from the Mariners?

All things considered, it makes a lot of sense for Cleveland to hold off on trading Kwan, at least for right now.

The current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, and that’s when a potential lockout could be implemented.

One of the proposals for the new CBA included a proposed salary floor. Considering the Guardians finished 30th in payroll last season, they’d need to dramatically increase their spending if that comes to fruition. One of the best ways to do that would be to extend some of the players already in the organization, such as Kwan.

Of course, trading Kwan before the front office knows what the new guidelines could bring is a big risk and could lead to missed opportunities, depending on the rules put in place.

It’s also worth noting that President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said right when the offseason began that the team expects Kwan to return to the Guardians to start next season.

A lot can and will change over the next few months, but the front office is at least publicly saying they don’t plan to move Kwan this winter.

A Kwan trade could happen this offseason, but if it does, it sounds like it would be for a while.