The Los Angeles Dodgers always have one of the best rosters in baseball in recent years. And somehow, they almost always find a way to get better, too.
With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the Dodgers haven’t been in as many headlines as other contenders. It seems that no one is quite sure what they’re going to do.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield has a pretty crazy hunch: He writes that the Dodgers are going to trade for Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan.
Kwan is a two-time All Star and one of the best contact hitters in baseball, along with a Gold Glover.
“We know the Dodgers will do something, right? They almost always do — and it’s usually something significant,” Schoenfield writes. “It could be a reliever, since Tanner Scott has scuffled at times (and was also just put on the injured list because of left elbow inflammation, though his MRI showed no ligament damage) and Michael Kopech is injured. Not to mention their bullpen woes have been on full display lately. It could be a starter, although they’re finally trending a little healthier there. So, how about an outfielder and a leadoff hitter?
“The reasoning here: Michael Conforto just hasn’t worked out. The Dodgers have given him 300 plate appearances and he’s hitting under .200, plus he’s not a good left fielder. They could also use a leadoff hitter. They just moved Mookie Betts there in front of Shohei Ohtani, looking to get Betts going, but Betts just hasn’t been an offensive force in 2025 and shouldn’t be hitting at the top of a lineup right now. Kwan would fix both issues and give them a nice OBP guy in front of Ohtani while providing a major defensive upgrade.
“Would Cleveland trade Kwan? Jeff and Kiley McDaniel ranked him No. 2 on ESPN’s updated list of the top 50 trade candidates, although admittedly gave just a 20% chance that he would be traded. He’s under team control through 2027 and is making $4.1 million this season, with a big raise due next year. The Guardians also need power and the Dodgers could offer a nice package of prospects, maybe starting with catcher Dalton Rushing or a potential power-hitting outfielder such as Zyhir Hope or Eduardo Quintero (top prospect Josue De Paula is probably off limits).”
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Truly the biggest obstacle is whether the Guardians would actually move Kwan.
Their classic mojo is to trade guys a couple years before their contract is up, to maximize value and avoid big paydays. This would mark that timing for Kwan.
Cleveland has been hot lately, though, and that may push any thoughts to dealing the likes of Kwan and Emmanuel Clase to the offseason.
But if the Dodgers could somehow get Kwan now, that’d be a huge boost to their chances in October.
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