Latest Steven Kwan rumor all but confirms 2026 could have been last dance for Guardians current core

The body may barely be cold when it comes to the 2026 Cleveland Guardians, but that hasn’t prevented the Guardians from moving squarely into the middle of trade rumor season. 

Earlier today FanSided’s Robert Murray broke the ice with a new story where he wrote a trade for Steven Kwan could be “back on the table” after the Guardians’ ALCS exit. 

Here we go again. 

Steven Kwan is going to be a mainstay in trade rumors this offseason

According to Murray, there are numerous executives who have started to wonder out loud if the Guardians would be more open to trading Kwan this offseason because of his rising price tag along with the depressed player pool available this offseason.

Kwan’s name has floated in trade rumors for a better part of the past couple seasons due to his price tag and dwindling team control, but the Guardians have held off on trading him at every juncture. They avoided trade overtures for Kwan at the 2025 trade deadline and Winter Meetings, and didn’t trade him at last year’s deadline. 

While part of the reason for that lack of trade was because of Kwan’s early season struggles, the Guardians also decided to buy at the deadline, so trading Kwan would have been foolish. 

This offseason could be a different story. Not only is Kwan going into the final season of arbitration control, but he also was projected to make $11.3 million in his final run through arbitration. While that’s a fine price tag for a player with his talent, the penny-pinching Guardians may not want to pay that. 

But even if they would be willing to pay it, there’s a chance Kwan could leave next offseason for nothing so long as the Guardians aren’t able to ink him to an extension. 

When it comes to potential targets, Murray mentioned the Padres and Cubs as potential trade destinations for Kwan, both of which make sense. The Padres were one of Kwan’s top suitors at the deadline in 2025 and seemed to have a clear path to get him until they traded Leo De Vries to the Athletics, while the Cubs are led by former Guardians executive Carter Hawkins. 

Although Murray’s report is the first offseason rumor roundup to involve a player on the Guardians, it only seems like a matter of time until we get more rumors involving players like Tanner Bibee, Brayan Rocchio or other players who could pique interest across the league. 

Kwan pushed his way back to the top of the Guardians’ lineup with a second half that ranked among the American League’s best, but that strong run may have also helped push him to the front of the trade line. 

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