📢 TOP STORY: Steven Kwan signals enthusiasm about playing center field, sparking buzz around the Guardians’ defensive plans ⚡ .NL

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — It’s still unclear how much Steven Kwan will play center field for the Guardians this year. But the fact that they’re willing to have a four-time Gold Glove winning left fielder try a new position this early in spring training underscores the intent behind the decision.

Manager Stephen Vogt told reporters about the move on Thursday morning. Kwan gave his view on the matter after practice.

“It wasn’t one of those things where I said I want to play center,” said Kwan. “It was like, ‘Hey, I know we’re dealing with a lot of decisions in the outfield. If me being in center makes things easier for other guys to find some spots, I’m all in.’”

Kwan has played only six games in center in the big leagues but has plenty of experience at the position in the minors and college.

“It’s going to take some time to get used to,” he said. “But I was confident then (in the minors and college) and I feel I could be confident now.”

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Kwan knows he’s risking his reputation as an elite defender. If he moves to center and struggles after winning four Gold Gloves, that could hurt his resume. He’s two years away from free agency and could still sign a sizeable extension with the Guardians.

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On the plus side, if he does well that would only increase his value as a free agent or a trade option.

“For sure that’s a factor,” said Kwan, “But at the same time, it’s something I can pour more energy into. Not that I was comfortable being in left field, but it’s going to be a lot harder. I mean, there are some great athletes in center field, so if I want to keep that going, I’ve got to play my A game. If not, we’ve got some lessons to learn.”

Kwan and outfield coach JT Maguire have some work to do to make the transition successful. Here are some of the things on Kwan’s to-do list:

• He’ll have a lot more ground to cover in center field.
• He’ll have to adjust to a new set of angles and routes on fly balls.
• For those not blessed with great speed, such as Kwan, those routes have to be more precise.
• In left field, according to Kwan, he could get a good jump on a ball and throttle down to readjust. In center field, he’ll have to adjust on the fly and not hesitate.

“Those are some of things we’ve flagged early,” said Kwan.

If Kwan becomes the everyday center fielder, he could bring stability to a position that hasn’t had much since Myles Straw called the position home from the second half of the 2021 season through 2023. Last year the Guardians had five players start games in center, including Angel Martínez who made 87 starts.

In 2024, Tyler Freeman appeared in 97 games in center field, only to be traded just before the start of the 2025 season.

Kwan, of course, brought the same kind of reliability to left field for the last four years. But he said a move to center could “open up” the lineup, and in doing so help improve one of the weakest offenses in the big leagues last season.

Rookie Chase DeLauter could move from center to right field. Nolan Jones, CJ Kayfus, Johnathan Rodriguez, Daniel Schneemann and George Valera also started games in right field last year.

When asked who would replace Kwan in left field, Vogt said, “We’ve got 14 outfielders in camp. We’ll find somebody.”

Kwan’s play in left was the one safe harbor in Cleveland’s outfield last year. He hit .272 (170 for 625) with 29 doubles, 11 homers and 56 RBI. He scored 81 runs from the leadoff spot and stole 21 bases in 26 attempts.

Guardians center fielders, meanwhile, combined to hit .199 (119 for 597) with a .574 OPS. The right fielders weren’t much better, hitting .202 (108 for 535) with .605 OPS.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter if Kwan plays center or returns to left field. He can only play one position at a time. The Guardians are going to have to get more offensive help from the outfield if they are going to contend in the AL Central. In the time between now and then, Kwan is going to have some fun.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I think it’s just a cool way of not allowing myself to get complacent in left field. This is a new challenge, something that I can really be intentional with … I can picture myself (playing well). I can have some good imagery with that. It’s going to be fun.”

Paul Hoynes, born in Cleveland, has been the beat writer for the Indians/Guardians since 1983. He attended Cathedral Latin High School in Cleveland and received a journalism degree from Marquette University. He…