We finally got confirmation of what the Guardians’ asking price was for Steven Kwan

While this year’s trade deadline featured plenty of smoke around a potential trade for Steven Kwan, the Guardians ended up holding onto the All-Star outfielder ahead of a hopeful second half surge. 

And, according to some new reporting from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, we finally have an idea as to what the Guardians were asking for in return for Kwan. 

We finally got confirmation of what the Guardians’ asking price was for Steven Kwan

On the day of the trade deadline, we hypothesized that Kwan would stay in Cleveland after the San Diego Padres traded top prospect Leo De Vries to the Athletics in exchange for All-Star closer Mason Miller. According to Passan, that was exactly the case. 

“Heading into deadline season, Leo De Vries, the 18-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop who was the prize of the San Diego Padres' farm system, was considered off-limits in any trade conversation. Three days before the deadline, though, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller showed a willingness to discuss him in potential deals for A's closer Mason Miller and Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan. The A's pounced, including Miller and left-hander JP Sears to net De Vries and a trio of right-handed pitching prospects: Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Nunez,” he wrote in his new article for ESPN.

Kwan has the talent, salary and team control needed to net a big return in a potential trade package, and it seems like Preller recognized that as well. Luckily for Cleveland, Chris Antonetti and the Guardians’ front office recognized that and stuck to their guns. 

The Padres, Dodgers and Phillies seemed like the only three teams that had the necessary prospect capital (and desire to win) to wrestle Kwan away from the Guardians. But the Padres ended up trading De Vries to the Athletics and the Phillies dealt two top prospects away to the Twins in exchange for Jhoan Durán. 

All of this sets up an interesting winter, with Passan mentioned later in his article. 

“For all the talks Cleveland held with other teams about left fielder Kwan -- and there were plenty -- the Guardians wound up not moving the two-time All-Star despite a number of strong offers. Perhaps no team in MLB navigates trade talks of veteran players with the discipline and conviction of the Guardians. They set their trade demands for Kwan, and no one met them. So, they held him.

Between José Ramírez and Kwan, the Guardians have two of the steadiest players in the game. Building a lineup around them -- and fashioning a proper rotation as well -- is the trick on a skimpy payroll. A deal for Kwan could materialize again over the winter, which tends to be when position players get a greater return than at the deadline. Might the runners-up for free agent Kyle Tucker see Kwan -- a lesser player, but a damn good one still -- as a reasonable fallback plan? Sure,” he wrote. 

As Passan wrote, Kwan will still have two years of team control left after the season, and his numbers should get even better as the season goes on. By the time the winter rolls around, it’s not out of the question that Kwan could have four Gold Gloves and two All-Star nods under his belt along with 18+ career bWAR. 

The Guardians have traded away plenty of franchise icons before entering free agency, but a potential trade of Kwan would have hit differently given the fact it would have come about, in large part, due to Emmanuel Clase’s suspension. 

And while a trade could still happen in the winter, we now know what it’s going to take to get a deal done.