Credit: AP Photo

Steven Kwan makes sense for the San Diego Padres, but can they wrestle the outfielder away from the Guardians? 

The San Diego Padres and GM A.J. Preller are expected to be ultra aggressive during this year’s trade deadline.

It is something Padre and baseball fans alike have come to expect from the savvy and extremely persistent general manager. Preller has long known the team needs a major upgrade in his lineup to meet the expectation of bringing a World Series to San Diego.

Preller and the Padres are reportedly connected to Guardians All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Times.

It is said that the Guardians and GM Mike Chernoff would need to be blown away on any offer to move Kwan away from Cleveland.

Phillies and Padres are among many teams interested in Kwan https://t.co/IwYmE1Hard

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 23, 2025

What does Kwan bring to the table if acquired by the Padres?

The All-Star outfielder with a knack for terrific bat-to-ball skills would bring more than just that. On top of his bat-to-ball skills, Kwan brings above-average to elite base running along with elite defense. This would create one of the best defensive outfields in baseball with Kwan, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr.

There is a growing sense among the Padres fan base that ownership may be unwilling to add to the team’s salary.

Now begs the question. Does adding Kwan affect the Padres’ salary, and what does the contract look like?

According to Spotrac, Kwan has two more arbitration years of control after this year, with an estimated value of $4.75 million for next year’s arbitration contract. It has been reported that Preller may be looking for controllable contracts while also selling off some expiring ones; Kwan would be a perfect fit.

Now, let’s look at the potential cost of trading for the multi-Gold Glove award winner.

Padres send: Ethan Salas, Boston Bateman, and Romeo Sanabria

Guardians send: Steven Kwan

A.J. Preller is known for taking calculated risks to improve his ballclub. This trade could be another risky move that ultimately works out for the Padres and Preller.

Assistant Coach at Heritage High School. A big time SDSU fanatic and Padres fan.

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