The Cleveland Guardians seemed pretty close to trading away Steven Kwan at the trade deadline.
That at least raises the question, entering the offseason, of whether that could be a consideration again.
If it's not, Kwan is heading for salary arbitration.
MLB Trade Rumors projects Kwan to get $8.8 million from the Guardians in the arbitration process, a totally fair number for a player of his talents.
Kwan is a career .281 hitter through four big league seasons with a .741 OPS.
MORE: Vladdy Jr. hit the most epic, historic grand slam the Blue Jays have ever had
At age 28, it seems the lefty contact wizard should have plenty of more productivity to come.
That work at the plate doesn't take into account his stellar play in left field.
According to Baseball Savant, Kwan was the 100th percentile in baseball for his arm value metric this season, and he was 91st percentile in outs above average in left field.
At the plate, he was 100th percentile in whiff percentage, 99th percentile in squared-up percentage and 93rd percentile in launch angle sweet spot percentage.
The metrics match the output for Kwan, a Gold Glover and a consistent contender for batting titles.
The Guardians don't always keep their stars around, but it'd be tough optics for Kwan to be traded after such a furiously wonderful finish to the regular season by Cleveland.
The first-round playoff loss was disappointing, but the Guards wouldn't help their cause of getting over that hump if they dealt Kwan away. They need him as part of their core, and paying him seven figures in salary arbitration is not a bad outcome.
MORE: Max Fried has a Clayton Kershaw playoff problem