Yankees' Potential Trade Looks Enticing, But it Could End in Disaster

The New York Yankees definitely need to change some things this offseason, especially after watching their AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays come this close to winning a World Series.

But what exactly can the Yankees do? Will they add some pieces via free agency? Will they make some significant trades? Maybe a bit of both?

In terms of trades, one name that keeps surfacing in trade speculation for New York in recent weeks is Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who just won his fourth straight Gold Glove.

Kwan was a hot name back at the trade deadline, but the Guardians opted to hold on to him. He has two years of club control remaining, so while Cleveland will probably keep him heading into 2026, perhaps the Guardians could be enticed to move him.

One proposal has the Yankees sending top outfield prospect Spencer Jones to Cleveland in exchange for Kwan.

Let me immediately say I am not a huge fan of this.

Look, I get it: Kwan doesn't strike out all that much, but if that is the sole barometer the Yankees are going to be using to repair their roster this offseason, then problems will ensue.

For all of the talk about Kwan being a "contact hitter," he batted just .272 in 2025. He also finished with a .705 OPS and 96 OPS+, both underwhelming numbers. He is a lifetime .281/.351/.390 hitter, good for a .741 OPS.

Kwan is a decent hitter; not a great one, and trading Jones straight up for the 28-year-old when they could include Jones in far more enticing trade packages would be dangerous.

The only situation in which I can envision Kwan being a good fit in the Bronx is if the Yankees re-sign Cody Bellinger and are simply looking for a corner outfielder. In that case, you can acquire Kwan and field a Kwan-Bellinger-Aaron Judge outfield, which looks really good.

But you kind of get the sense that people are viewing Kwan as a possible replacement for Bellinger, which wouldn't be great for the lineup at all.

Kwan is a solid table-setter, but his lack of pop would be very frustrating. Also, keep in mind that getting Kwan would basically rule out Kyle Tucker, as both are corner outfielders. Even if you lose Bellinger, you're not trading for Kwan and signing Tucker unless you want to put Judge back in center field, which would be a disaster waiting to happen.

Plus, Cleveland will surely try to rake the Yankees over the coals when it comes to any potential Kwan trade. Jones might not even be enough for the Guardians, who are notoriously shrewd in trade discussions. Kwan will be expensive as is, and the Yankee tax will only increase his already bloated price tag.

There are certain scenarios in which Kwan would be a nice pickup for New York, but it seems fairly unlikely that the Yankees will be able to pursue any of those avenues.