A Logan Gilbert-Steven Kwan trade is a hard sell for both Mariners and Guardians

When something seems too good to be true, it's because often times it is actually just that. The Mariners have a surplus of starting pitching and a need for quality defense, and a potential scenario based around this has arisen by way of association. The scenario alluded to involves Logan Gilbert and Steven Kwan by way of a post from Jon Morosi of MLB Network, but is it actually a trade which makes sense for the M's and Guardians?

As things stand, the Mariners rotation is six deep and this is without including Ryan Sloan, who is projected to make his major league debut at some point in 2027. It's clear that someone is going to have to get moved and M's president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has admitted the team has already been getting "a lot" of calls about their starters. At the same time, they are eager to upgrade the defense after finishing the 2026 campaign ranked dead last in team Fielding Run Value.

As such, in relation to Morosi's post on X, why not consider trading Gilbert for Kwan? The Guardians outfielder won four consecutive Gold Gloves between 2022-25 and still ranked in the second-highest decile for Fielding Run Value this past season. However, at the risk of being a spoilsport before such a scenario gains any substantive traction, we just don't think this is a good idea for either side.

Beginning with the Guardians, there's no denying Gilbert would strengthen an already strong rotation which ranked 10th in team ERA in 2026. However, as per MLB Trade Rumors' projections for 2027 arbitration salaries, Gilbert is expected to make $15.4 million more than Kwan. This would just be too much of a leap of faith for a Guardians organization which ranked last in team payroll this past season.

Is saving money and upgrading left field worth it for the Mariners to lose arguably their best starter?

As for the Mariners, we've already listed some of Kwan's credentials and it's clear his glove would boost a team desperate for quality defense. However, all things being equal, is it worth trading Gilbert just to upgrade the outfield? For all the needs the M's do have defensively, the left corner doesn't exactly rank at the top of the list.

Look no further than the man Kwan would theoretically be replacing in the left outfield for the Mariners, in Randy Arozarena. We all know how dismal Arozarena was defensively in 2026, but his bat more than made up for this as the most consistent threat in the lineup. As much as Kwan did hit .282 this past season and has a disciplined approach at the plate, his .731 OPS alludes to a limited offensive ceiling due to his lack of power and speed.

To be clear, there's a lot to like about Kwan. However, if it's going to be a case of just one year of one guy either way, it may be better with the devil you know than the devil you don't. Gilbert might not have pitched at quite the same level as in 2024, when he led the majors in innings and WHIP, but he still paced the Mariners rotation this past season with a career-high 3.3 bWAR.

If anything, it might be possible to entice the Guardians to trade Kwan in exchange for one of the Mariners' other starters, especially with them coming just two wins shy of a World Series berth. Our preference would be to move Bryce Miller, Emerson Hancock or ... at a push, but also more likely to be accepted ... George Kirby. However, based around the parameters of Morosi's post of swapping players with one year of club control left, we think it's better if they hold onto Gilbert.

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