Ahead of this season’s trade deadline, the Cleveland Guardians’ front management made a decision that aroused eyebrows throughout the league: deciding to consider offers for outfielder Steven Kwan.
Despite being on the verge of a postseason berth, Kwan, starting pitcher Shane Bieber, and closer Emmanuel Clase were among the players the Guardians were trying to cut. However, a contract was not reached, and Kwan stayed in Cleveland despite the interest he generated from other clubs.
However, if Kwan is still wanted by the Guardians, that may change come winter.
Kwan likened to idealized version of young outfielder on Cardinals’ roster
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report has released a list of MLB players who are most likely to be moved this winter. Naturally, Kwan was on it.
“Kwan, a three-time Gold Glove winner, is most likely on his way to earning a fourth one. “Even though he hasn’t even come close to winning a batting title yet, he has these periods every year where he manages to get multiple hits for more than a month at a time,” Miller wrote.
“He’s not a slugger by any means, but he contributes in all other areas of the game and occasionally hits a home run. Cleveland’s unwillingness to spend about $10 million annually for the next two seasons on a player who might potentially command double that much in free agency may be a significant advantage for another team.
In particular, Zach Pressnell of the St. Louis Cardinals on SI thinks Kwan would be a strong match for the Missouri-based squad and an improvement over Victor Scott II, who is currently the team’s center field starter.
Although Scott is seen as a little stronger defender, Kwan and Scott are fairly comparable players. Kwan seems on track to win his fourth Gold Glove in as many seasons, even at that point. Kwan can bat over.300 in any season and is a reliable hitter with an OPS of.740-plus. Kwan is one of the finest pure hitters in baseball, according to Pressnell, even though batting average is gradually disappearing. “The Cardinals have a lot of question marks in the outfield right now, but swinging a big offseason trade for the Guardians star would shore up one of the three outfield spots for the foreseeable future.”
Kwan has a.278/.338/.392 slash line in 119 games this season, which includes 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 63 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases.
