The Philadelphia Phillies made their first (and hopefully not only) major splash of the trade deadline on Wednesday, acquiring RHP Jhoan Durán from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for RHP Mick Abel, their No. 6 prospect, and C Eduardo Tait, their No. 4 prospect.
It's a huge win for the Phillies, even if it came at a steep price. Durán immediately levels up a shaky bullpen and gives Philadelphia its go-to ace late in close games. Durán has a 2.01 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 49.1 innings so far this season. His arrival moves Orion Kerkering to a more natural setup role and gives Philly its José Alvarado replacement for the playoffs.
Dave Dombrowski and the front office need to keep working, though. This Phillies core is reaching the end of the road. They only have so many deep runs left in them. Finding ways to add controllable talent that can help them win games right now is the goal. One more blockbuster might just put the Phillies in pole position in the National League.
It's time to look at Cleveland Guardians two-time All-Star Steven Kwan.
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Steven Kwan trade can move Phillies into NL driver's seat
Kwan is on the trade block as the Guardians fade out of contention in the AL Central. With back-to-back All-Star berths under his belt at 27 years old, you'd be hard-pressed to find many better trade candidates floating around the marketplace.
The Phillies' need for an extra outfield bat is well-documented. Max Kepler has been a disaster in left field. The platoon in center remains unreliable, especially when it's Johan Rojas stepping into the box against lefties.
Philadelphia's lineup is led by an MVP-caliber bat in Kyle Schwarber, but there isn't much power behind him. Bryce Harper is rounding into form at an opportune time, but the Phillies still need to iron out the back half of the lineup. Kwan would give them a dependable leadoff hitter equipped with excellent bat-to-ball skills, speed on the bases and a rocket-like arm in left field.
Kwan isn't a big-time slugger, which might deter Phillies fans, but the consistency of his approach is a huge boon for a team that too often goes frigid in October. He sees the ball well and maintains a high average, sitting at .286 with a .761 OPS and nine home runs in 398 at-bats this season. His 114 wRC+ places him comfortably above the league average.
What will Guardians demand in potential Steven Kwan trade?
The Phillies gave up two top-six prospects in their system for Durán, both of whom occupy MLB Pipeline's top 100 overall. Kwan won't come cheap either. He's under club control through 2027, so the Guardians don't face any pressure to trade him unless the deal is too good to pass up. Philly might need to dip into the top of their farm system again.
Justin Crawford, Philly's No. 3 prospect, feels like a natural candidate. He gives Cleveland a soon-to-be MLB replacement at just 21 years old. Crawford, much like Kwan, won't woo fans with his slugging, but he's an incredibly efficient contact hitter with speed on the base paths and defensive chops in centerfield. Kwan is much further along on the development curve, but Crawford is a strong replacement option for the Guards.
Cleveland has a strong track record of pitching development and might poke around Moisés Chace, Philadelphia's No. 8 prospect, and Jean Cabrera, their No. 10 prospect. A pair of top minor leagues might be what it takes for the Phillies to pry Kwan away from the Guardians. That said, farm system gems Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller remain off the table.