The Toronto Blue Jays are urged to make a bold trade after failing to land Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette.
Toronto was heavily linked to Tucker, but the star outfielder opted for a short-term deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After failing to land Tucker, Blue Jays analyst Ian Hunter of TheBlueJaysNation urged the team to trade for Steven Kwan from the Cleveland Guardians.
“Kwan would be an everyday fixture in the Blue Jays’ lineup, while Lukes only started 37 games against left-handed starters in 2025, so his splits are a little more pronounced than Kwan’s,” Hunter wrote. “As much as everyone loved witnessing Lukes’ long-awaited breakout after being a career minor leaguer for 11 years, there’s an element of regression to be expected with a player of that calibre. Steamer projects figure he’s due for a 0.9 fWAR season in 2026, while Kwan is projected for 2.8 fWAR.
“A trade for a player like Kwan would involve parting with someone like Lukes (in that trade, or a subsequent deal to free up a roster spot), but going after a player like Kwan would provide more than just an incremental upgrade in the outfield for the Blue Jays. That’s a spot on the roster where they can easily raise the floor and make this lineup (and defense) that much more formidable in 2026.”
Kwan is a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner and would fit in perfectly into the Blue Jays lineup. He’s a great defensive player with high contact, which is what Toronto wants.
How Would Kwan Fit Into Blue Jays Lineup?
Toronto has been linked to Kwan for quite some time, but the trade does make sense now.
The Guardians could look to move on from Kwan and sell high on him. If the Blue Jays do land him, he fits perfectly into Toronto’s lineup.
Kwan can be Toronto’s starting left fielder and form a great outfield defense with Daulton Varsho in center. Kwan and Varsho are two of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.
Meanwhile, Kwan is a high-contact hitter and could bat second behind George Springer, to help set the table for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander.
Kwan hit .272 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs last season with the Guardians. He’s under team control for just two more seasons.
Toronto Linked to Another Bat
The Blue Jays were linked to the likes of Tucker and Bichette, but Toronto failed to sign either.
Although the team did sign Kazuma Okamoto, Blue Jays manager John Schneider hinted at the team needing another bat.
“Probably a bat of some sort,” Schneider said at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 9. “We are coming off a really, really good offensive year in a lot of different ways. We did it and scored runs. There was a time we did it without Tony (Anthony Santander). A time we did it without Bo for a little bit. You feel good about your offense, but adding would be nice, and I think that is a priority.”
Toronto will be banking on Santander to have a bounce-back season. But, Toronto could explore the trade market to land a star hitter.
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