Insight into Dodgers’ failed pursuit of Steven Kwan sort of explains quiet deadline

When the Dodgers missed out on Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan at this year’s trade deadline, most assumed that it was because general manager Andrew Friedman didn’t want to part with the prospects necessary to make the trade. 

But according to a new report from MLB insider Bob Nightengale, Kwan not departing the Guardians wasn’t for a lack of trying on Los Angeles’ part. 

Insight into Dodgers’ failed pursuit of Steven Kwan sort of explains quiet trade deadline

In a new story for USA Today, Nightingale wrote that the Dodgers’ missing out on Kwan was the “most surprising” part of the deadline. 

“They were badly trying to acquire Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, believing he would be the perfect fit to replace Michael Conforto in left field. But after hours of negotiations, were left empty-handed. The consolation prize was Washington Nationals outfielder Alex Call. Everyone in baseball thought they were getting Kwan," one GM said,”  per Nightengale.

It makes sense the Dodgers would want to replace Conforto (who has the lowest batting average among qualified hitters) with Kwan, who is a two-time All-Star and is one of the best table-setters in all of baseball. But it seems like Guardians stayed firm in their asking price for Kwan, which made him tough to get. 

We got more evidence of that on Monday when ESPN’s Jeff Passan added a report stating the Guardians “set their trade demands for Kwan, and no one met them. So, they held him.”

While it was tough to see the Dodgers not make a move to upgrade the biggest hole on their roster, their inability to trade for Kwan stings a little less since he stayed in Cleveland.

Passan wrote that the Padres were willing to dangle top prospect Leo De Vries in a potential deal, but they decided to use him to get Mason Miller from the Athletics. 

The trade deadline wasn’t all bad, per Nightengale, as he lauded Los Angeles’ ability to nab outfielder James Tibbs from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Dustin May. 

“They sent Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox simply because he wasn’t good enough to make their rotation, and brought back minor league outfielder James Tibbs, who was the Red Sox’s fifth-ranked prospect, and a key piece from San Francisco in the Rafael Devers’ trade. Rival executives believe the deal could be a steal for the Dodgers with Tibbs having a chance to become a star,” Nightingale wrote. 

There’s also a chance the Dodgers could end up making a play at Kwan during the winter, but it seems like his price tag won’t be any cheaper then, either. 

The Dodgers elected to stand their ground on any potential deal for Kwan at the deadline, and perhaps rightfully so, but we’ll have to wait until October to see if it was the right call.