Steven Kwan couldn’t have chosen a better time to have his first career multi-home run game than with a week left before the MLB trade deadline. Kwan’s name has surfaced in trade rumors of late as the Cleveland Guardians (always ones to take the cheap route whenever possible) float on the fringes of playoff contention, and one team keeping a particularly close eye is the Philadelphia Phillies. Philly's outfield has been largely a mess all year, and after seeing Kwan continue to shine this season, they now have to ramp up the pressure when it comes to going after him.
It won’t be easy, given Kwan's track record as an above-average bat and superb defender in left as well as the fact that he's under team control through 2027. The Guardians will likely ask for a massive haul in return, but with Eugenio Suarez possibly landing with one of the other contenders in the NL, the Phillies have to make Kwan a priority if they want to get back to the World Series.
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Why Steven Kwan should be at the top of the Phillies' wish list
The Phillies have plenty of work to do revamping their bullpen before July 31 rolls around, but they are also very much in need of another outfield bat, as Max Kepler's continued struggles have only underlined. Kwan would, in so many ways, be the antidote: Sure, he's not strictly a platoon partner for Brandon Marsh, but his contact-heavy approach works pretty well against left-handed pitching, and he's the exact sort of hitter this team has been missing over the last two postseasons.
Kwan is the ideal table-setter in front of big boppers like Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, and his defense would allow Philly to really clamp down late in games with Marsh and Johan Rojas. Luis Robert Jr. might be the flashier name, but Kwan has been the better player for a while now, and he checks a ton of boxes for Dave Dombrowski.
Steven Kwan is playing his way to a contender by the MLB trade deadline
Kwan may not be the power hitter Suarez has been this year, but he’s been a hot bat and could land on a new team before the end of the month. He’s slashing .287/.352/.410 this year; while that’s pretty much on par with what he’s been doing in his career, his biggest flex this year is he has just 35 strikeouts.
He’s having quality at bats, getting on base and could be a player that provides timely hits for the Phillies. Philadelphia, like all the other contenders, will be looking to add pitching as well as some offense. Kwan is a player the Phillies shouldn’t shy away from in pursuit of Suarez. In fact, they should focus on Kwan and let everyone else duke it out for Suarez.