Guardians' quiet winter has already had bizarre Steven Kwan consequence

For the past four years, Steven Kwan has been one of the best left fielders in all of baseball. While his offensive production has been up and down, Kwan’s won four straight AL Gold Gloves and has been a mainstay at the top of the Guardians’ lineup. 

Although Kwan’s going to be at the top of Cleveland's lineup once again in 2026, it looks like there’s a chance he could be at a new defensive position after Stephen Vogt announced that Kwan could see some time at center field this spring. 

On one hand, that’s a positive development given Kwan clearly the team’s best center field option, and moving him to center also allows for Cleveland to use more offensive-heavy lineups. 

But it’s also a bit of a negative development given the fact that the Guardians had a whole offseason to address center field but instead elected to go with a move that could change the fabric of the Guardians’ roster. 

The Guardians using Steven Kwan in center field is both a good and bad thing

Just to be clear, Kwan is one of the best defensive players in the sport. He’s been worth 25 Outs Above Average since starting his career along with being credited with 68 Defensive Runs Saved, both of which are the best marks in that time period. 

Even if Kwan’s not as good in center field, it’s hard to believe he’d be anything below league-average given his high marks in left. And, for what it’s worth, Kwan said all the right things about the potential move.

“It was just, ‘Hey, I know we’re dealing with a lot of decisions in the outfield. If me being in center makes things easier for other guys to find some spots, I’m all in, ‘“ Kwan said, per The Athletic’s Zack Meisel.

The “other guys” Kwan is referencing are primarily Chase DeLauter and George Valera, both of whom made their MLB debut last season. Valera and DeLauter are strong power options who would help turn the Guardians’ offense around, but both of them are better used in the corner outfield spots. 

If Kwan moves to center then both of them could be in the corners. The same can be said for CJ Kayfus and Nolan Jones. 

But it didn’t need to be like this. If the Guardians were truly interested in upgrading center field, they had plenty of options in free agency who could have helped, ranging from bigger names like Harrison Bader to a more platoon option like Austin Hays. 

For what it’s worth, Meisel reported earlier in the offseason that the Guardians “put out feelers” for Hays and had considered a reunion with Lane Thomas, but also let both players know that there wasn’t a clear path for either of them to get regular playing time. 

Even though the thought of Guardians being able to play DeLauter and Valera at the same time is exciting, it loses a bit of luster when you realize that it’s coming at the expense of Kwan’s defensive position.