CLEVELAND -- The Guardians have avoided arbitration with all of their eligible players this offseason after coming to terms with All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan.
The Guardians and Kwan reached a one-year deal for 2026 worth $7.725 million. The team did not disclose the salary figure, which was reported by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Cleveland previously agreed to deals with reliever Matt Festa, catcher David Fry and outfielder Nolan Jones in November to avoid arbitration.
Thursday marked the deadline for teams to exchange figures with unsigned arbitration-eligible players. By reaching a deal with Kwan, he and the Guardians will avoid going to a hearing to determine his salary for 2026.
Kwan earned $4.175 in 2025 in his first season of arbitration eligibility. He is under club control through ‘27.
Kwan was once again one of the Guardians’ steadiest players this past season, in which he won his fourth consecutive AL Gold Glove Award and earned his second consecutive All-Star nod. The 28-year-old recorded 3.7 WAR, per Baseball Reference, while slashing .272/.330/.374 over 156 games.
Kwan did express some dissatisfaction with his personal offensive output after the Guardians were eliminated from the postseason in the AL Wild Card Series. He hit .285 with a .741 OPS in 92 games before the All-Star break, compared to .254 with a .655 OPS in 64 games after. Though he did not use it as an excuse, Kwan dealt with a lingering right wrist injury stemming from a slide into second base in late May that led to him receiving an injection during the break.
Kwan is set to anchor a Guardians outfield in 2026 that could feature a bevy of up-and-coming players. Chase DeLauter (ranked as Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect and No. 58 overall by MLB Pipeline), George Valera and C.J. Kayfus will be in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster after each reached the Majors for the first time in ‘25.