CLEVELAND, Ohio — All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan avoided arbitration with the Guardians on Thursday, agreeing to a one-year contract worth a reported $7.725 million. Kwan had been the only remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible player on Cleveland’s 40-man roster.
Major League Baseball’s deadline for teams and arb-eligible players to exchange salary figures was 1 p.m. The two sides can still negotiate a multiyear extension, but if those talks do not materialize, Kwan is safely in the fold for the upcoming season on the one-year deal.
A four-time Gold Glove Award winner and two-time All-Star, Kwan batted .272 with 81 runs, 21 steals, 29 doubles, 11 home runs and a .768 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage). Since his debut with the Guardians in 2022, Kwan is a .281 hitter with 346 runs, 36 home runs and 206 RBI. He has a career 3.7 WAR according to baseball-reference.com and a career .741 OPS.
MLB insider Robert Murray reported the $7.725 million contract, which came in below most projections for Kwan according to several sources. MLBTradeRumors.com had projected Kwan to earn $8.8 million in arbitration with Baseball Prospectus putting him at $9.175 million.
Kwan’s salary in his first arbitration year (2025) was $4.175 million.