MLB rumors: Will Yankees trade for Guardians' Steven Kwan if they strikeout on Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger? appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan was mentioned as a trade candidate ahead of the 2025 July trade deadline. A deal ultimately did not come to fruition, and Kwan helped the Guardians shock the Detroit Tigers and win the American League Central. The Tigers later got their revenge in the playoffs and sent the Guards home. Since the offseason began, trade rumors around Kwan have been fairly quiet , but the New York Yankees are a team that has been mentioned as a possible suitor .
During an episode of Talkin' Yanks in early December, Jomboy and Talkin' Jake discussed the idea of Kwan possibly being a fallback option for the Yankees if they fail to sign Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger . Kwan would make sense for the Yankees — a team that needs better defense and Kwan is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder.
However, Kwan has not been mentioned in trade rumors for the most part in recent weeks. Perhaps that is a result of Tucker and Bellinger still being available in free agency. Teams such as the Yankees may pivot to contacting the Guardians about Kwan after the aforementioned outfielders sign.
Kwan, 28, still has two years of team control remaining on his current contract (arbitration eligible in both 2026 and 2027). The Guardians, despite falling short in the postseason, are fresh off an AL Central division title. Cleveland has been mostly quiet so far this offseason, but the ball club proved it could compete at a high level with its current core of players.
Additionally, Steven Vogt has earned back-to-back AL Manager of the Year Awards — not bad for a guy in his first manager job who had the daunting task of replacing a legend in Terry Francona.
The Guardians may not want to trade Kwan. Will the Yankees reach out if they don't sign Tucker or Bellinger (which is unlikely in all reality)? Probably, as he would be a good fit in New York as mentioned. With that being said, the lack of trade rumors around Kwan suggest there is a realistic chance that he will remain in Cleveland in 2026.
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