Bleacher Report strikes nerve with Guardians fans over renewed Steven Kwan trade buzz

While Steven Kwan wasn’t traded at last month’s trade deadline, he was at the center of seemingly every trade conversation, and stood out as one of the top players available. But the Guardians ended up turning away other team’s overtures and held onto the two-time All-Star ahead of their (hopeful) stretch run into the postseason. 

But we got another reminder of the trade interest around Kwan when Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller put out a story highlighting 10 former All-Stars who could be traded in the offseason, with Kwan being one of them. 

 Bleacher Report strikes nerve with Guardians fans over renewed Steven Kwan trade buzz

Kwan's presence on Miller’s list makes sense. Kwan is under team control for two more seasons and seems poised to have a big payday whenever he hits free agency, which is why the Guardians entertained trade offers on him in the first place. 

And, as Miller put it, he provides value in every part of the game. 

“Kwan is a three-time reigning Gold Glove recipient who is probably headed for a fourth such honor. And though he has yet to come all that close to winning a batting title, he goes through these stretches every year in which he reels off multiple-hit games seemingly four times a week for well over a month,” he wrote.

Kwan’s value to the Guardians can’t be overstated. He’s slashing .280/.339/.395 this year with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, 14 steals and 42 walks and is one of three Guardians with an OPS+ above 100 along with José Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo. 

He’s also a player that the fan base has invested in and cares about. His major league debut has coincided with the Guardians’ current contention window and he’s also been an impact player at the top of the lineup and in the field. 

He may not be the same kind of player as Ramírez, but he’s a young, proven talent who still has some team control left. 

That doesn’t mean that a deal is a foregone conclusion, however. The Guardians’ asking price for Kwan at the deadline started at a top prospect, which is why the Padres including shortstop Leo De Vries in their deal for Mason Miller killed any chance they had of getting Kwan. 

The Dodgers seemed to also have a ton of interest, but it seems like Andrew Friedman was unwilling to overpay for Kwan. 

It’s worth pointing out that deals are always a bit tougher to consummate at the trade deadline compared to in the winter when there’s no hard and fast deadline and front offices have more time to think about the long-and-short-term ramifications of every move. 

Even if Kwan survived the trade deadline, Miller’s article is just another reminder that the trade buzz around him isn’t going to go away any time soon.