Guardians Reportedly 'Trying to Move' Steven Kwan, Shane Bieber in MLB Deadline Trades

As they struggle to move up the American League playoff standings and play without star closer Emmanuel Clase for at least the next month, the Cleveland Guardians could be looking to aggressively sell before the trade deadline.

Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Guardians are "trying to move" both Steven Kwan and Shane Bieber by Thursday's 6 p.m. ET deadline.

This report comes on the heels of Clase being placed on paid leave through Aug. 31 amid MLB's investigation into sports betting.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Clase move "likely increased" Cleveland's chances of dealing Kwan and Bieber.

Appearing on 850 ESPN's The Really Big Show in Cleveland, ESPN's Jeff Passan said Bieber will almost certainly be traded before the deadline and Kwan has a legitimate chance to be dealt.

Bieber, who has been out of action due to Tommy John surgery since April 2, 2024, is a wild card in a volatile starting pitching market. He just made his second rehab start on Tuesday for Double-A Akron.

The 2020 AL Cy Young winner struck out seven and allowed one run over four innings with his fastball topping out at 94 mph.

Bieber is making $10 million this season and has a $16 million player option for 2026. His willingness to exercise that option will depend on how things go for him down the stretch this season because he could potentially cash in with a lucrative multiyear deal if he plays well.

If Bieber can return to pitch in big league games for most of the final two months of the regular season, he has the potential to be a real difference-maker for a contending team.

Kwan has frequently popped up as a potential trade candidate, but the Guardians' place in the standings made it difficult to figure out what direction they wanted to take.

Losing four of five games from Thursday through Monday dropped the Guardians to 52-54. Even with their win on Tuesday, they are still 3.5 games out of a playoff spot with a 53-54 record.

The only AL clubs with a worse run differential than Cleveland (minus-34) are the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Athletics.

Kwan could bring back a nice return for the Guardians because of his steady play year over year and having two seasons of team control after 2025.

A two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Kwan is hitting .286/.351/.410 with nine homers and 11 stolen bases in 101 games this season. He's also one of the best outfielders in MLB with 13 defensive runs saved in 863.2 innings.