Steven Kwan will continue to be a popular trade candidate this offseason, but what are the chances the Cleveland Guardians actually move him?
Steven Kwan has been a staple of the Cleveland Guardians' roster for the last four seasons, but as he inches closer to free agency, the trade speculation will only get louder.
Even though Kwan stayed with the Guardians past the trade deadline in 2025, the rumors and reports of him possibly being moved this offseason won’t slow down anytime soon.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan recently ranked the players who could be traded this offseason and predicted the chance they actually get moved.
Thankfully for Guardians fans, the duo of insider only believe there is a 25% chance that Kwan gets traded this offseason, and they have a pretty good reason for it.
“Though it looked like Kwan would be moved before the July 31 deadline, he remained in Cleveland, and the belief among other executives is that will remain this winter. The Guardians aren't expected to spend significant money this offseason, and their offense is paltry enough that moving Kwan -- when a playoff spot in the AL Central is well within reach -- doesn't make sense,” wrote the pair of analysts.
Sep 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) rounds third base en route to scoring against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesWhat Passan and McDaniel argue here makes a ton of sense for Kwan and the Guardians. Cleveland could trade the All-Star outfield and bring back a solid package of prospects, but the Guardians need offense as it is, especially from the outfield position group.
With Cleveland being in position again to win a third-straight American League Central next season, dealing one of their best players for future pieces wouldn’t be a great message to send to the fan base or the locker room.
While the insiders believe the chance of Kwan getting traded is only at 25 percent right now, it will be interesting to see what happens throughout the regular season, assuming they’re correct and he isn’t moved this winter.
If Cleveland moves further and further out of a postseason spot, the likelihood of a Kwan trade would likely increase as the deadline approaches. Who knows? Maybe the Guardians will break their mold and end up signing Kwan to a contract extension instead of trading him.
We’ll just have to wait and see how everything plays out this offseason.