Out of all the teams in the Major Leagues, none have had a rougher past ten games than the Cleveland Guardians. After losing ten in a row, the trade deadline is no longer as appealing, as they're more likely to be sellers than buyers.
Based on a new report from Jayson Stark of The Athletic, the trade deadline could be even worse than standing pat. According to a National League executive, they believe the Guardians could move on from Steven Kwan at the trade deadline.
"I think Cleveland always just plays the Tampa Bay long game," an NL executive said, "So they could flip some pieces. Steven Kwan would be a potential piece, even though there are a couple of years of control there. But I don't see a big sell coming."
This comment from an NL executive is troubling. The Guardians' offense has been terrible lately, and a huge reason why it hasn't been worse is thanks to Kwan. He's batting .298 on the year with 99 hits and six home runs.
MORE: Guardians predicted to land haul of prospects for Emmanuel Clase at trade deadline
Kwan was an All-Star in 2024 and was just named as a reserve for the 2025 All-Star game. Moving him at the deadline, with him under team control through 2027, would be a very strange move.
Amid the team's rough season, where they sit seven games out of a Wild Card spot and 15.5 out of the AL Central lead, trading Kwan would only make things worse. He's too valuable to move on from, especially since he's going to be around for the next two years at least.
The comments from an anonymous National League executive are very worrisome. If Cleveland were to ship off Kwan, the Guardians would lose one of their best players on the roster. This move would be a worst-case scenario for the Guardians, and yet, an MLB executive thinks such a move could happen.
Trading Kwan would not just be strange, but it'd be incredibly frustrating for Guardians fans. While not the same, it'd be akin to the Boston Red Sox trading Rafael Devers. Boston fans were irate, and if Kwan were to be moved, Cleveland fans would likely feel the same way.
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