If there's one thing trade deadline season has taught us, it's to always expect the unexpected. It seemed like the Cleveland Guardians had very little interest in dealing either of their two most enticing trade assets, outfielder Steven Kwan or closer Emmanuel Clase. But then Clase became the team's second pitcher placed on paid non-disciplinary leave due to a gambling investigation, and Cleveland keeps sliding further out of the playoff picture, and now it seems like the door to a Kwan deal might not be slammed shut after all.
Kwan is an immensely valuable player, but he's also started his arbitration clock already, under team control through the end of the 2027 season. If Cleveland doesn't feel great about where things are headed in the short-term future, moving on might make some sense. Which begs the question: What might the team be asking for in return, and who could provide it for them?
The best recent comp for Kwan might be Randy Arozarena, who himself was dealt by the Tampa Bay Rays with two and a half years of team control remaining last summer. Arozarena fetched righty Brody Hopkins, now a top-100 prospect, and outfielder Aidan Smith, Tampa Bay's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Considering that Kwan is a better and younger player, we can estimate that Cleveland might expect at least one more piece in return.
Right now, it seems like the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets are the teams most in need of outfield help at the deadline. All have been linked to Kwan in recent days; but which one should catch the Guardians' eye the most? Let's dive into what a package might look like, and who can build the best deal.
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5. San Diego Padres
San Diego doesn't really have big-league pieces to offer up right now, and they're not giving up all-world shortstop prospect Leo de Vries for just about anything. That brings us to Salas: The bloom has come off the rose a bit for the young catcher as he goes through growing pains at Double-A, but he's one of the youngest players at the level at just 19 years of age, and he's still a maven behind the plate defensively.
It's not the most enticing centerpiece, but you could certainly do worse, especially with Bo Naylor still struggling to figure things out. Bergert has looked pretty good in his first taste of MLB action, and he'd be an ideal candidate for the Cleveland pitching factory moving forward. Ornelas struggled mightily in his brief Padres cameo, but he's a largely big league-ready bat who can help backfill Kwan's departure. Still, there's not a ton here in the way of future ceiling to get all that excited about.
4. Toronto Blue Jays
Now we're getting somewhere. The Jays have outfield depth in spades, with Addison Barger breaking out and Daulton Varsho returning to the lineup soon. Loperfido would get a long look in a corner spot for the Guardians in the event of Kwan's departure, and could even settle in as a starter thanks to his solid all-around game (even if he won't put up an OPS near .900 moving forward).
The real draw here, though, is Yesavage, who's rocketed through the Minors since being taken in the first round of last year's draft. He's fanned 116 batters in 71.2 innings so far this year, and while the competition has stiffened a bit at Double-A, his fastball/slider/splitter combination will provide Guardians coaches with more than enough to work with. And hey, if Martinez can finally get some of his prodigious raw pop into games more consistently, the former top-100 prospect could prove to be a steal as well.
3. New York Mets
Giving up Vientos will likely sting some Mets fans after last year's magical run, but getting a player of Kwan's caliber at a position of legitimate need without giving up any of New York's big four prospects (Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean and Carson Benge) has to be considered a win. And besides: Monday night's heroics aside, Vientos remains a frustrating fit, a man without a positional home who has fallen behind Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty in the pecking order but who nonetheless doesn't really work as a bench piece.
The Guardians, on the other hand, would have no reason not to give him as long a leash as possible, and play him pretty much anywhere other than third base. This team just needs as much offensive juice as possible, and Vientos still has that in him somewhere, even if he's struggled to access it much in 2025. Sproat has pitched better of late after a tough start and brings top-prospect pedigree that Cleveland will know what to do with, and while Gilbert's stock has slipped a bit as he languishes in the Minors, he'd still be an improvement over much of Cleveland's current outfield situation. But again, Vientos is the bet here, and it's better than what a lot of other Kwan suitors can offer considering the Guardians' needs.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
It remains to be seen just how motivated the Dodgers are to land Kwan (and potentially replace Michael Conforto). But if they decide to push their chips in, there's no disputing that they can put together an awfully competitive package. They're particularly swimming in young outfielders, and while they might not want to part with either Josue De Paula or Zyhir Hope, Quintero would still be one heck of a get for the Guardians.
Injuries have dogged Ryan, who is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery last summer. But we know just how good he is when healthy, and his repertoire might be the most complete in L.A.'s entire system. If any team can get his ceiling out of him, it's Cleveland, and he's a more than worthy second piece to a Kwan deal. Add in Harlan, a third-round pick in last year's draft who has big-time power potential, and now you're got something.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
Of course, no team should be more motivated to land Kwan if he's available, and the Phillies can also put together an enticing package of young talent. Crawford is the obvious fit here, himself a contact-oriented outfielder who should step right in as Kwan's replacement sooner rather than later. Abel might not have much of a home in the Phillies rotation in the near future, but he'd be an intriguing ball of clay for the Guardians to try to get the most out of. And while Anthony has never been regarded as much of a prospect, he just keeps on hitting, and he's all the way to Triple-A now. The combination of a big league-ready Kwan replacement in left and a young, MLB-caliber pitcher with upside should make Cleveland think awfully hard if they do decide to pull the trigger here.