Jul 28, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) celebrates his home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports Eric Hartline
One of the biggest problems with suggesting that the Phillies need to acquire an outfield upgrade before the July 31 trade deadline is that the market for potential solutions is as weak as it's ever been.
Luis Robert Jr. once looked like a superstar, but has a .629 OPS since the start of the 2024 season. Byron Buxton is an All-Star for the second time in his career, but only played more than 100 games twice in his first decade in the league. Adolis García is an elite defender in the outfield that can carry an offense when he's hot, but he is hitting just .228 with a .652 OPS this season.
So trying to upgrade the lineup might mean president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski needs to get creative. Maybe that means trading for an upgrade at a position that doesn't feel like a hole right now, but gives you an opportunity to improve, like third base. Or it could mean acquiring an impact player that we don't necessarily view as one of the top trade candidates currently.
Enter, Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians.
Steven Kwan makes the leaping grab! pic.twitter.com/SHppl6dK6r
Sunday was a good day for Kwan personally, as he was selected to the All-Star Game for the second season in a row. However, the Guardians lost their 10th game in a row, dropping them to 40-48 on the season. Mind you, this is a team that won 92 games and reached the ALCS last year, so if they wave the white flag on 2025, it probably won't be until really close to the deadline. But they are a club worth monitoring for sure.
Even if the Guardians sell, it could mean they part with shorter term pieces like Carlos Santana and Jakob Junis, as opposed to someone like Kwan who could help them return to the postseason in 2026.
With that said, Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently did an article on the players that executives around the sport believe are most likely to be moved in advance of the trade deadline, and said that "multiple teams mentioned Kwan."
In the spirit for being fully honest with our audience, we are aware that Bowden hasn't batted .1000 on trade rumors/reports in his career. Among other things, there was the whole Ralph fiasco at the 2014 trade deadline.
But Bowden is the former general manager of both the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. He has an MLB Network Radio show that executives around the league regularly come on, including Dombrowski. In this case, it's fair to assume that he's able to put together a story with insight from executives, because he once was one.
What Bowden is saying also passes the smell test. Some teams might be trying to speak this into existence, but the Guardians are a team that typically trades players away as they start to get more expensive. They sent Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets prior to 2021 season, which would have been his contract year. Josh Naylor was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks this past offseason ahead of a contract campaign after he was a key cog for them a year ago. José Ramírez and Emmanuel Clase have stayed around, but only because they've signed ridiculously team-friendly contracts.
Kwan can't become a free agent until after the 2027 season, but if the Guardians sense that the clock is beginning to tick on him, trading him now with two remaining arbitration seasons could be the best way to maximize the return for the outfielder.
Of course, the price would be hefty to land the 27-year-old. Considering the Phillies wouldn't trade Andrew Painter for Garrett Crochet a year ago, it's highly unlikely they would part with their top prospect in this case, even if he hasn't blown through Triple-A like expected. But might they have to get comfortable with the idea of moving Aidan Miller and/or Justin Crawford in a situation like this? Probably.
You do need to tread carefully when talking about moving that type of prospect capital, especially considering how desperate managing partner John Middleton is to change the organization's fortunes in terms of player development. But Kwan would be a unique opportunity.
Since the start of the 2024 season, Kwan is hitting .294 with a .786 OPS. He's got pop, but isn't really a power hitter. He's a table setter, and could give you a pretty lethal one-two punch atop the lineup with Trea Turner. He is a left-handed hitter, which is suboptimal considering your current roster makeup, but he would likely be replacing Max Kepler in the lineup.
Trea Turner is not a 2025 All-Star. Was he snubbed? @TimKellySports says yes in the latest episode of Phillies Stoplight🚦 pic.twitter.com/tG6Q8jbXmT
Additionally, Kwan is one of the game's elite defenders. He's won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards in left field. Since entering the league in 2022, Kwan has 60 defensive runs saved in left field. That comes despite playing his home games at Progressive Field, one of the more difficult left fields to navigate in baseball.
Kwan does have some experience in center field, and the Phillies could probably make it work there at least for the remainder of 2025. But the more likely scenario is that Kwan would play left field, Brandon Marsh would be in center field and Nick Castellanos in right field. If you were able to clear the hurdle of getting Castellanos to accept coming out of games late for a defensive replacement, you could have an elite outfield defense with Kwan in left, Johan Rojas in center field and Marsh in right field as you tried to lock down close games in October.
All of this may prove to be a discussion more likely to take place in the offseason. But it's hardly a foolish conversation to have, and as the Phillies try to finally get over the hump in October, Dombrowski would be wise to see if prying Kwan away from the Guardians could be a real possibility in the coming weeks.
