Cleveland Guardians Sign All-Star Outfielder To Avoid Arbitration

Steven Kwan and the Cleveland Guardians agreed on a one-year contract for 2025 to avoid arbitration.

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) runs off the field after catching a fly ball against Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning at Game 5 of ALDS at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Since his debut at the beginning of the 2022 season, Steven Kwan has been one of the best and most consistent hitters in the Cleveland Guardians and MLB.

The outfielder finished up his third big league season in 2024, making him arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason. Both sides had until Thursday to agree on a salary, and thankfully, that's what they did.

Kwan and the Guardians have reportedly agreed on a $4.175 million contract for the 2025 season.

We have reached one-year contracts with Steven Kwan and Lane Thomas, avoiding arbitration. #ForTheLand

— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) January 9, 2025

The 2024 season was an up-and-down roller coaster for Kwan.

He started the season right where he left off at the end of 2023 and was again one of the most feared hitters in Cleveland's lineup.

Even a nearly month-long hamstring injury in May didn't slow him down. In June, he was batting .400 and was voted to his first career All-Star Game.

However, the narrative started to shift for Kwan in the second half of the season. He hit just .206/.316/.302 following the break, and Kwan even looked lost at the plate at times. Perhaps this was due to a back injury that forced him to miss the last few weeks of the regular season.

Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) hits an RBI single during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images

The elite hitter that fans had grown accustomed to seeing returned in the playoffs. He finished the postseason with a .381 batting average and a .863 OPS.

There's no reason to think a healthy Kwan won't repeat this production next season.

The three-time Gold Glove winner and All-Star is one of the Guardians' most important players heading into the 2025 season, and it's nice knowing the two sides were able to agree on a contract for next year.