I’ve been looking around the majors at players rumored to be on the trade block this offseason and determining if they would be an ideal fit for the Phillies. Today, I will look at Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan.
The background
Drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, Kwan quickly rose through the Guardians’ minor league system and became their starting left fielder in 2022. He made a strong first impression, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. He’s established himself as one of the best
fielding outfielders in baseball, winning the Gold Glove in all four of his seasons.
However, his offense has yet to rise to the level of his defense. It looked like he was on his way to becoming a good hitter with a 126 OPS+ in 2024, and then he got off to a blazing start at the plate to start 2025, putting up an .825 OPS with four home runs in March and April. But he cooled down considerably, hitting just seven home runs the rest of the way, and had a .655 OPS in the second half.
Why he might be available
It does seem strange that a team that has won two straight division titles would be looking to trade a young, two-time All-Star, but his name has been mentioned so much in trade rumors, that it feels like there must be something to it. He is in his second of two arbitration years, so he’s getting more expensive, and the Guardians might be reluctant to pay big money to a player who hasn’t consistently shown he can be an above average hitter.
Why the Phillies might be interested
The Phillies don’t have a lot of quality outfielders on their roster at the moment, so there definitely some appeal in adding one who has made two All-Star teams.
Why the Phillies might not be interested
The one guy who seems fairly certain to start in the outfield for the 2026 Phillies is Brandon Marsh, and it feels like there is far too much overlap between the two players.
Both Kwan and Marsh are good defensive left fielders. Marsh has been average at best in center, while the Guardians have been reluctant to move Kwan to center, which seems odd considering how good he’s been in left, and center is considered a far more important position.
Marsh’s inability to hit lefthanded pitching is well publicized, but Kwan struggled mightily against them as well last season, putting up a .581 OPS with zero home runs. (Marsh even managed two homers against lefties!) To be fair, Kwan was actually good against lefties in 2024, but his career numbers (.672 OPS) are lacking.
Would I make the trade?
Absolutely not. I discussed this last July when his name was being bandied about, but if I’m using precious trade capital on a player, I’m not getting a slightly better version of one I already have.
I am always skeptical of players who derive most of their value from defense, especially when it’s at arguably the least important defensive position on the field. If they have to choose between available options to fill an outfield spot, I would much rather re-sign Harrison Bader than trade for Kwan.
