Guardians holding onto Steven Kwan dubbed best move at trade deadline

At the MLB trade deadline, the Cleveland Guardians only dealt away Shane Bieber and Paul Seawald, two players who were on the injured list and weren't expected to return in the offseason once they hit free agency.

But, they have plenty of offers on the table for All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan. If they wanted to, they coudl've dealt him at the deadline for a massive return. But, they didn't, and that decision was dubbed the best deadline move from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"The Best Deal Is the One You Don't Make Award: The Cleveland Guardians hold Steven Kwan." Passan handed out awards from the 2025 MLB trade deadline, and the Guardians' decision to keep Kwan earned an award from Passan.

Despite the strong interest from around baseball, the Guardians held onto Kwan through the deadline. He was the top outfielder on the market, and while plenty of teams were in on him, they couldn't match the Guardians' demands.

"They set their trade demands for Kwan, and no one met them. So, they held him." Passan writes. "And that's a good thing for a city like Cleveland, which has never gotten used to its team's propensity to extract value out of tenured players before they reach free agency."

MORE: Guardians to trade Cy Young starter Shane Bieber to Blue Jays

Cleveland keeping Kwan through the deadline, despite the trade rumors, is more than just a good thing for the fanbase. If the Guardians dealt with Kwan, the clubhouse would've felt the negative impact of a departing cornerstone.

Even if the return was strong, seeing one of the leaders and best players depart would've been a tough blow for the players. Compounded with the investigation into top reliever Emmanuel Clase, it would've been a tough week in Cleveland.

Instead, Kwan stays, and the Guardians can look forward to a future with Kwan on the roster. Even if he departs once he's a free agent, or in the future in a trade, at least for now, the Guardians won't see a fan favorite leave at the deadline.

If they can find a way to sign Kwan long-term, this decision to keep Kwan at the 2025 deadline could be a franchise-defining moment. He's the type of player who can lead a team in the postseason. Keeping him was a great decision, and Passan called it one of the best 'moves' of the trade deadline.

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