The San Diego Padres enter the offseason with a clear mandate to fortify an outfield that already features elite talent yet still leaves room for another high-impact piece.
With Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill locked into everyday roles and Dustin Harris emerging as a breakout option in left field, the club possesses a foundation that could become one of baseball’s strongest with the right addition.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller has never shied away from pursuing established stars, and the team’s prior interest in Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan at the 2025 trade deadline underscores how seriously San Diego views him as a potential fit.
According to Robert Murray of FanSided, that interest remains relevant now that the Guardians have been eliminated from the American League Championship Series.
Murray notes that Kwan, who is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility and will become a free agent after the 2027 season, has drawn repeated attention from contenders, and the Padres rank among the clubs that previously pursued him aggressively.
Preller’s reputation for bold moves and his documented affinity for impact players make a renewed pursuit logical, even if Kwan’s contract status introduces some uncertainty about the precise cost Cleveland might demand.
Kwan finished the regular season with a .282/.382/.349 slash line, three home runs, and 32 RBI while ranking sixth in baseball in fWAR from late June through the end of the year.
Across five seasons, in Cleveland he has collected four consecutive Gold Gloves and two All-Star appearances, establishing himself as one of the American League’s most reliable and underrated everyday contributors.
His projected arbitration salary of roughly $11.3 million for 2027 is manageable for a contending roster, particularly one that already carries significant investment in Tatis and Merrill.
Pairing Kwan with that group, plus Harris’s recent surge, would give San Diego four high-quality outfielders and the flexibility to deploy them in multiple configurations without sacrificing defense or on-base ability.
Whether the Guardians ultimately decide to shop Kwan will depend on their own evaluation of the market and the return available for a player who remains under team control for one more season.
For the Padres, however, the calculation is straightforward: an affordable, proven outfielder who elevates both the lineup and the defense remains an attractive target.
Preller has shown in the past that he is willing to explore such opportunities when they align with the club’s competitive window, and Murray’s reporting suggests the door has not closed.
We’ll see if San Diego makes a pursuit of Kwan in the coming months.
