The San Diego Padres are one of the teams MLB insiders expect to be most active at the MLB trade deadline. One of their top needs, in left field, could be an area where A.J. Preller makes a splash at the deadline.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Padres are one of a few teams that are in on Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan. The three-time Gold Glover would be an incredible pickup for the Padres, and Heyman named them as a landing spot.
Padres and Reds in addition to Dodgers (and others) are in on the Steven Kwan derby. Kwan with Luis Arraez would be quite the interesting combo.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 30, 2025
“Padres and Reds, in addition to Dodgers (and others), are in on the Steven Kwan derby.” Heyman writes, “Kwan with Luis Arraez would be quite the interesting combo.”
If the Padres could swing a deal with the Guardians for Kwan, they would have two troublesome bats in the order. Arraez and Kwan are two of the better contact hitters in the sport, with both also being among the best at avoiding strikeouts.
Arraez has the fewest strikeouts this season among qualified batters, with only 12 on the year. The next closest has 31, and Kwan, who the Padres are linked to, has just 38 strikeouts on the season, 6th lowest in baseball among qualified hitters.
MORE: Padres among teams vying for Guardians All-Star, Gold Glove outfielder
This season, Kwan has a .286 batting average with a 110 OPS+ and a .761 OPS through 101 games. He has 114 hits, 16th most in baseball. Kwan isn’t the best power hitter, but he has nine home runs and 20 doubles, along with one triple this season.
Part of what makes Kwan such an appealing trade target is his incredible defense in left field. He’s a three-time Gold Glove winner and is in the middle of another great defensive season.
Kwan is also a two-time All-Star at 27 years old and is under team control through the 2027 season. The Padres being linked to Kwan isn’t a surprise, but this report from Heyman is noteworthy.
The Padres are in on the Kwan sweepstakes, which in the last few days has begun heating up. If the Padres could land Kwan, they’d have their left fielder for the future, and at a very reasonable cost, since Kwan is making just $4.18 million this season.
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