When one door closes, another door opens, as they say. The Emmanuel Clase gambling drama that has swept through Cleveland mere days before Major League Baseball's trade deadline might have opened a door for the Philadelphia Phillies.
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Guardians' trade deadline plans have changed as the team becomes sellers (subscription required) after losing Clase for an indefinite amount of time. That means that there's an increased possibility that Cleveland trades outfielder Steven Kwan, who had previously been highly unlikely to be traded.
"He is drawing 'a ton' of interest, according to a club source," Rosenthal writes. "With the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres believed to be among the teams in the mix."
“[Steven Kwan] is drawing “a ton” of interest, according to a club source, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres believed to be among the teams in the mix.”
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) July 29, 2025
-@Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/6qBG8RbDc0
With Steven Kwan more likely to be traded, the Phillies need to take advantage at the deadline
Kwan, 27, can do a bit of everything, stemming from his elite bat-to-ball skills at the plate. He puts the ball in play, slashing .287/.351/.411 in 100 games this season, with 20 doubles and 11 stolen bases. He doesn't strike out (8.4 percent), and despite not impacting the ball hard (86 mph average exit velocity), he has been on a home run binge recently with three in his last five games, bringing his season total to nine.
He's a left-handed hitter, which might be his only drawback for the lefty-heavy Phillies lineup. But with a .257 batting average against southpaws, the two-time All-Star is miles ahead of what the Phillies have received from the outfield this year. Fellow lefties Max Kepler (.196 vs. LHP) and Brandon Marsh (.191 vs. LHP) and right-handed hitting Johan Rojas (.227 vs. LHP) have all disappointed in that respect.
Kwan also plays Gold Glove defense in left field, with three awards in his first three seasons in the majors.
ESPN's Jeff Passan had previously connected the Phillies to the Guardians in a proposed blockbuster trade for both Clase and Kwan, which would have been a dream trade scenario for Phillies fans. While that deal is obviously dead and buried, a trade for Kwan is on the table now more than ever.
He's the kind of consistent table-setter the Phillies' lineup, which already has plenty of power, needs. His skills aren't the kind that come and go. After the Phillies have been burned so badly by last year's trade acquisition, Austin Hays, and Kepler's free agent signing this year, bringing in a reliable, stable bat would be a breath of fresh air. Not to mention, Kwan is under affordable team control for the next two seasons.
We'll see if the Phillies front office can swing a deal by the time Thursday's deadline rolls around.