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The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
Guardians are facing a Steven Kwan dilemma | Jeff Schudel
- Story byThe News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
- Guardians are facing a Steven Kwan dilemma | Jeff Schudel
The Guardians have one more year of control over Gold Glove outfielder Steven Kwan before he hits free agency in 2028. He was on a one-year contract in 2026 and is eligible for arbitration in 2027.
Kwan is on record saying he'd like to sign a long-term contract to stay with the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 draft. There were opportunities for a contract extension in arbitration years 2025 and 2026, but both times Kwan and the Guardians reached deals on one-year contracts before negotiations went to arbitration.
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The Guardians were in a similar situation with Francisco Lindor. Lindor had one year of arbitration left when they traded him to the Mets in January 2021. The difference is Kwan is unlikely to get a 10-year, $341 million contract from his new team if he is traded or if he hits free agency in 2028.
So what would you do if you were Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti coming off a third straight division championship and an appearance in the ALCS? Trade Kwan? Sign him for one more year and hope he will contribute to a World Series championship? Try to work out an extension for one of the very best defensive outfielders in all of baseball?
Kwan was under contract for $7,725,000 in 2026. MLB Trade Rumors is projecting he will earn $11.3 million in 2027. The question isn't whether the Guardians can afford the pay boost. The question is how long will the Guardians-Kwan marriage last.
"I think our past history would say it could play out in a variety of different ways," Antonetti said recently. "There are certainly guys that have finished their term of control and gone to free agency. There are other guys that have been traded prior to the season, other guys mid-season, but a lot of that just depends upon circumstances.
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"As we sit here today, we're expecting Steven Kwan to be a big part of a contending team next year. We shared similar sentiments with Steven (at Kwan's exit meeting). We were talking about his offseason preparation for the year he had, the way he was able to turn around his season, how much we appreciate his on-field performance, his leadership, and our expectation that he's going to be here moving forward."
Kwan is a big reason the Guardians overtook the White Sox to win the A.L. Central Division. He hit. 225 in 89 games before the All-Star break with one home run, 16 RBI and 37 runs scored. He hit .353 in 62 games after the break with two home runs, 16 RBI and 43 runs scored.
