After extending Tanner Bibee, doing the same with Steven Kwan should be a top priority for the Cleveland Guardians

As the Cleveland Guardians are getting ready for spring training to end and the regular season to begin, they have begun to put the finishing touches on securing their competitive future by signing starting pitcher Tanner Bibee to a five-year contract extension. Now that they have what should be a cornerstone of their pitching staff in place for the next half-decade, it is time to do the same with one of their position players, and who that should be is very obvious. Left fielder Steven Kwan.

Kwan has proven to be one of the best players in the Guardians' lineup and is somehow underrated when it comes to the national baseball landscape despite winning Gold Gloves in each of his first three seasons. What Kwan brings to the table as a hitter may not be what makes it onto highlight compilations or be what goes viral on social media, but his ability to succeed as Cleveland's leadoff hitter has helped propel this team to the postseason in two of his first three seasons.

There is another aspect to this besides just extending a young player and ensuring an integral part of this team's lineup remains on the roster. Kwan has not necessarily been known as a power hitter at any point in his career, but he did manage to hit more home runs in 2024 (14) than his previous two years combined (11). If there is one thing that drives up the price of position players, it is the threat of the long ball, and this upward trend, combined with his strong knowledge of the strike zone and overall plate discipline, will make the future salary he could command skyrocket.

Even if Kwan does not continue his upward trend in the power department and hits around 10-15 home runs per year, his offensive profile and approach at the plate should produce sustained success over a long period of time, and that is something the Guardians would be wise to invest in sooner rather than later.