The Philadelphia Phillies could use a new look in 2026. Five straight seasons of largely the same team have yielded diminishing playoff results. A dormant offense was the club’s biggest weakness last season; the Phillies need to lengthen their lineup.
Cleveland Guardians’ left fielder Steven Kwan has been in the rumor mill for years, and it may be time for the Phillies to put together a package to pry him loose.
The Phillies outfield is a mess. Fan favorite Brandon Marsh got the lion’s share of playing time in left field and had a Jekyll-and-Hyde season. The 28-year-old rode a fantastic .829 OPS to an All-Star Game nod, but bottomed out in the second half with a .502 OPS. With his shaggy mane and scraggly beard, Marsh is a lovable character, but his inconsistency killed the team down the stretch.
Kwan is a Luis Arraez-esque king of contact and brilliant left fielder. Like Marsh, Kwan will reach free agency after the 2027 season, and the cost-conscious Guardians could look to move off his projected $11.3 million salary next season and net future assets in the process.
Steven Kwan could be the upgrade over Brandon Marsh the Phillies need
The basic structure of a Kwan-to-the-Phillies trade is obvious. Sending Marsh to Cleveland would give the Guards a slightly cheaper replacement, and the Phils would get a much-needed upgrade in left field on both sides of the ball. However, Cleveland wouldn't settle for a lesser player with the same amount of team control. From here, the pot will need to be sweetened.
Marsh is somewhat of a reclamation project after his horrific end to the season, but he’s shown enough upside to warrant regular playing time in Kwan’s stead. However, the Phillies could include ashes-to-phoenix candidate Orion Kerkering.
The 25-year-old has a high-90s fastball and wipeout slider, and, during stretches, has looked the part of a dominant late-inning arm. Unfortunately, he’s fallen on hard times ever since his season-ending gaffe back in 2025, and a change of scenery may be warranted.
Just because Kerkering is damaged goods doesn’t mean he’s completely valueless. The right-hander posted ERAs of 2.29 and 3.30 in his first two full big league seasons and has three more years of team control. He’d land in a perfect spot in Cleveland, given their penchant for getting the most out of relievers and the lower-pressure environment of a small-market club.
Between Kerkering and Marsh, the Guardians would get two high-upside players who have hit the skids. That may be enough to pique their interest, but they won't part with Kwan without reeling in a high-value prospect. That’s where Tyler Spangler comes in.
The 36th-overall pick in the most recent draft, Spangler is a big-bodied shortstop who profiles as a Corey Seager type if everything breaks right. The California high school product turned 19 on October 1st and has just nine games of Low-A action under his belt (after missing his entire high school senior season with a back injury), but the sky’s the limit for him.
A high-upside youngster is exactly the sort of headliner Cleveland could go for, given the fact that their low payroll necessitates that they develop stars from within rather than sign them in free agency. Spangler could become the successor to José Ramírez as the face of the Guardians in a few years’ time. Plus, Spangler is blocked by a slew of infield prospects in Philly like Aidan Miller and Bryan Rincon.
Given Steven Kwan’s status as a one-year rental, it would be asking a lot for the Phillies to surrender their most recent first-round pick along with two flawed yet talented Major-League contributors. To help balance the scales, Cleveland should send back one of their many solid, team-controlled relievers.
30-year-old Tim Herrin has spent the past four seasons with the Guardians, working to a 3.41 ERA across 219 appearances. He’s been hit or miss depending on the season, but 2026 was a good one as he punched out 54 batters and posted a 3.02 ERA over 56.2 innings. The southpaw is projected to earn $1.3 million this winter in his first trip through the arbitration process; he's under team control for three more seasons.
The Phillies desperately need more quality left-handed relief depth, as journeyman Tim Mayza was far and away their best option this past season. Mayza has already been retained on a cheap one-year deal, but piñata José Alvarado is now a free agent, and soft-tosser Tanner Banks was lit up in 32 outings.
This trade would address two trouble spots on the Phillies’ roster: perennial Gold Glover Kwan would add some much-needed defense and contact ability to a dreadful Phillies outfield, while Herrin would bring a quality left arm to a bullpen that has very few. The Phillies will need to give to get, but they’re quickly running out of chances to finally win a World Series with this core.
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