Recently, the Athletic’s Jim Bowden put together a poll of MLB executives in order to get a better look at what to expect at the trade deadline this season. There were a few interesting names included as potential trade pieces this season.
Potentially the most shocking piece of this poll was the fact that multiple MLB executives mentioned Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan as a potential trade chip this season.
“This shocked me, but multiple teams mentioned Kwan, who has won three consecutive Gold Glove awards and is having another nice season. Kwan is slashing .296/.359/.418 (118 OPS+) with six home runs, 18 doubles and 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts,” Bowden wrote. “Kwan, 27, is under team control through 2027 and is arbitration-eligible going forward. Perhaps the Guardians would consider dealing him for a more impactful power bat.”
Kwan is a very interesting trade chip because he’s a name that’s rarely, if ever, been mentioned as a tradable piece up until this point.
The 27-year-old is a tremendous defender while also being one of the more reliable contact hitters in baseball. Despite being a contact-first hitter, he still manages to post OPS+ numbers higher than 100 on a regular basis.
With Kwan’s team control going through the 2027 season, it would be very shocking to see the Guardians trade him right now. Cleveland is still a winning ball club despite struggling a bit more than expected this season. One middle-of-the-road season shouldn’t force the team to cut ties with one of its best players.
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