New York Yankees' Steven Kwan Trade Buzz Doesn't Make Sense

The MLB hot stove is nearly here, so of course, New York Yankees trade rumors are starting to kick it into gear.

The Yankees are coming off of an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays and are in obvious need of improvements, but it's a mystery as to how New York will go about solving its issues.

The free-agent market is rather thin this winter, so the Yankees may have to peruse the trade block to find solutions.

On that note, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic has pitched a potential option for the Bronx Bombers: Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan.

In fact, Kirschner suggested a trade package centered around Spencer Jones to try and pry the perennial Gold Glove award winner away from the Guardians.

Let me just say right now that I don't like that idea. At all.

Kwan is an outstanding defender and proved in 2026 that he is capable of playing tremendous center field defense in addition to left, but I actually think the 29-year-old is quite a bit overrated.

Yes, he showed improvement at the plate this season, posting a .382 on-base percentage compared to his subpar .272/.330/.374 slash line a year ago, but historically, Kwan has never been a great offensive player.

Kwan is a lifetime .282 hitter with a .739 OPS, so while he does bring a contact-oriented approach to the table, he is not Luis Arraez.

The former fifth-round pick also homered just three times in 2026 and has accumulated a grand total of 39 home runs since entering the big leagues in 2022.

Additionally, Kwan has just one year of club control remaining and could get vastly overpaid once he hits the open market, and we already know Cleveland would attempt to rake the Yankees over the coals in any potential trade for Kwan.

While there is no doubt Kwan is the far superior defender to Jones, Jones' offensive ceiling far outweighs the difference in their gloves.

Jones has 40-homer potential and batted .340 with runners in scoring position this season. And while his strikeout rate will always be high, Jones does know how to work the count and seems to have a lot of walks in his future.

It would take Jones and more for the Yankees to be able to acquire Kwan from the Guardians, and I just don't feel that it's worth it.

Kwan is a fine player, but he isn't the right fit in the Bronx. If you really want a leadoff hitter who makes contact, just go and sign Arraez.