This move could all but end the Yankees' AL East hopes.
Yankees Fans Should Panic Amid Latest Steven Kwan Trade Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Amid a dreadful 22-28 stretch, the New York Yankees will likely take any good news that they can get these days.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal has a different splash of reality. Rosenthal reported late Monday night that the Toronto Blue Jays, who hold a 5 1/2 game lead in the AL East, are one of four teams “believed” to be in the mix for Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan.
Kwan, who turns 28 in September, entered Tuesday batting .287 with nine home runs, 37 RBIs, and 20 doubles for the inconsistent Guardians. The three-time All-Star has already posted 3.3 bWAR, and his 8.4 strikeout rate is fourth-best among qualified hitters.
“The combination of Kwan’s age, additional years of control and offensive, defensive and baserunning ability [makes] him perhaps the best position player available,” Rosenthal wrote.
Kwan has almost exclusively played left field for the Guardians, and he can easily slot into that spot for the first-place Blue Jays. He’d be an excellent fit in a lineup with a league-best 17.4 strikeout percentage — and, trust us, that’ll be vital come the postseason.
It wasn’t long ago that the Yankees looked like they had a dream season on their hands, with Aaron Judge chasing a .400 average and Max Fried looking like a Cy Young candidate. They entered Tuesday barely holding a one-game lead over the Mariners for the AL’s top Wild Card seed.
The Yankees moved quickly last weekend, adding Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Washington Nationals infielder Amed Rosario. We’ll see if the Yankees have any other moves planned over the next 48 hours, or if they’ll stand pat amid their continued struggles.
Related: Ryan McMahon Only Needed 2 Games With the Yankees to Embarrass Aaron Boone
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
