Guardians have clear path to handle Steven Kwan after arbitration savings

At long last, the Cleveland Guardians have Steven Kwan locked down for the 2026 season. While it didn’t come in the form of the long-term extension that everyone in Cleveland is clamoring for, the two sides were able to agree to a contract worth $7.725 million for next season to avoid arbitration. 

While Kwan was tendered a contract in late November, the two sides finally agreed on a contract figure ahead of yesterday’s deadline. 

It shouldn’t be the last agreement the Guardians come to with Kwan this offseason. 

Now is the time for the Guardians need to sign Steven Kwan to an extension 

Although Kwan’s contract figure comes in below the $8.8 million he was projected to receive by MLB Trade Rumors and the $9.175 million he was projected to get by Baseball Prospectus, it’s still a substantial amount for a player who still has one more bite of the arbitration apple remaining. 

He earned $4.175 million last season in his first time through the process. 

That rising price tag is perhaps the biggest reason why Kwan has become a mainstay in trade rumors over the past eight months. While he still has two more seasons of team control remaining through arbitration, every day that goes by without Kwan being signed a long-term extension means that the Guardians are a day closer to letting him go without getting anything in return. 

It seems like the Guardians have stood firm in their asking price for Kwan at both the trade deadline and Winter Meetings, but they can only stand on that asking price for so long before the calculus changes. 

And the best way for them to change that calculus is by signing him to a long-term extension. 

While Kwan isn’t the perfect player, his importance to the Guardians can’t be overstated, even if he’s coming off a bit of an underwhelming season (96 OPS+).

We don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Guardians are in desperate need of some offense (especially from their outfield), and removing Kwan from that equation would make a bad unit even worse. 

He’s also one of the best defenders in all of baseball and is a pesky bat at the top of the lineup who is seemingly in the middle of every Guardians rally. 

There’s clearly some inertia in extension talks between the two sides, but the Guardians are no stranger to inking a player to a long-term contract in spring training. Kwan’s a clear fit with the Guardians and the Guardians clearly need him, so it’s easy to see how a long-term pairing could be beneficial to both sides. 

The Guardians had a contract precedent break in their favor thanks to Tyler Soderstrom’s team-friendly extension with The Athletics, and they’re going to need to make some kind of move soon to avoid having the sands of opportunity slip through their fingers. 

They were able to keep Kwan in Cleveland for 2026 via a team-friendly salary. Now it’s time for them to make the move that will ensure they never have to go through this process with Kwan again.