The Guardians seem to be getting closer to selling significant pieces. reports that Cleveland is trying to move both left fielder and starting pitcher . Both players have been mentioned in plenty of trade rumors over the past few days, though Kwan has generally been seen as more of a long shot candidate. If the Guardians are truly motivated to deal Kwan, theyd have no i sue doing so. Hes one of their most valuable trade chips and would bring back a huge return. Kwan is playing on a $4.175MM salary and is under arbitration control for another two seasons. The two-time All-Star is hitting .286/.351/.410 with nine homers and 11 stolen bases in 448 plate appearances. Hes one of four hitters with at least 300 plate appearances who has walked more often than he has struck out. Kwan is a career .285/.358/.398 hitter. Hes also probably the games best defensive left fielder. He has won a Gold Glove in each of his first three seasons. While Statcasts Outs Above Average gives him an Nick Fortes Jersey uncharacteristically average grade this season, Defensive Runs Saved (+13) still views him as the gold standard at the position. The well-rounded skillset makes Kwan an ideal leadoff hitter. The Dodgers, Blue Jays, Padres and Phillies have previously been linked to him. adds the Reds to the list of interested teams. Speculatively speaking, the Astros could also use a left fielder and are known to be targeting left-handed bats. While the Guardians will sort through plenty of offers on Kwan, Bieber is a more challenging trade candidate. Thats not an indictment on him as a player but a reflection of his contract structure. The former Cy Young winner underwent Tommy John surgery last April. That was his walk year, and he re-signed with Cleveland on a two-year deal that allowed him to opt out after the first season. Bieber is playing on a $10MM salary and has to decide between a $16MM player option or a $4MM buyout at years end. An acquiring team would take on a little more than $3.2MM in salary the rest of the way. Thats plenty manageable, but the buyout would push that above $7.2MM. Thats what a team would owe for two months if Bieber were playing on a $22MM salary as opposed to a $10MM sum. That also doesnt account for the risk that he suffers an injury setback or simply doesnt pitch well and decides to stick with next years $16MM salary which hed only do if he feels he couldnt beat that on the free agent market. Bieber has not made a major league start this season. Hes closing in on his season debut after making his fourth minor league rehab appearance last night. He reached four innings and 58 pitches with Double-A Akron. wrote yesterday that other teams would have a heavy scouting presence in attendance. While those scouts opinions on Biebers stuff will hold far more weight than the results against Double-A hitters, the veteran righty had an impre sive outing one run on three hits and a hit batter with seven strikeouts. While the Guardians could hold firm to a huge ask on Kwan, they should be more motivated to deal Bieber if theyre committed to selling. They have to expect him to opt out if he looks like his pre-surgery self even more as the #3 type starter he was in 2023 as opposed to a return to the top of a rotation. Cleveland is a manageable 3.5 games back in the Wild Card chase, but they have three teams to jump and saw the path get a lot steeper when was placed on administrative leave pending a gambling investigation. George Soriano Jersey