Padres have only themselves to blame if All-Star outfielder lands with division rivals

The Cleveland Guardians are unraveling, and the rest of the league is circling like sharks. With a pair of relievers now on leave amid Major League Baseball’s ongoing sports betting investigation, Cleveland is shifting its focus. From hopeful postseason dark horse to unlikely sellers, the Guardians are now listening on trade offers for key pieces not limited to All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan. For the San Diego Padres, this is both a golden opportunity, and a ticking time bomb.

Kwan might not offer the raw power San Diego needs, but he brings something this organization would love — elite contact skills, defensive consistency in left field, and a spark plug mentality. The Padres rank near the bottom in left field production, and Kwan is the type of player who instantly upgrades both sides of the ball.

Padres will regret it if Steven Kwan lands with division rival Dodgers

Here’s the catch: The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported the Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly in the mix too. That’s the nightmare scenario. The Dodgers, rich in top-tier prospects and never shy about outspending or outbidding anyone — have the ammo to pull this off tomorrow if they want to. The only thing standing in their way is A.J. Preller’s willingness to act today.

If the Padres drag their feet, if they hesitate to offer controllable talent, or wait for the price to drop, they could watch Steven Kwan suit up in Dodger Blue while their hopes for October evaporate.

And that’s where this gets even more frustrating. The Padres are not a rebuilding team. They’re not a few years away. They are right now. Their core is built to win, their pitching is carrying them, and the margin for error in a top-heavy National League is razor thin. A move like this — bold, aggressive, and calculated, could be the key difference in a legitimate World Series run.

Letting Kwan slip away, especially to a division rival, would be a self-inflicted wound. And not just because of the optics. The Padres’ farm system is already one of the thinnest in baseball — making every missed opportunity feel heavier. If they’re not going to push their remaining chips in with this roster, when will they?

San Diego is just a few key additions away from being a complete, legitimate World Series contender. Steven Kwan is one of those additions. And if he ends up in Los Angeles while the Padres are left scrambling for buy-low outfield answers, there’s no one else to blame but themselves.

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