Bleacher Report's Yankees trade prediction is likely best answer to Cody Beillinger departure

The list of qualities that made Cody Bellinger a perfect fit for the New York Yankees in 2025 is long. It would start with athleticism, and you'd have to include defense, speed, contact ability, and a low strikeout rate. Should Bellinger leave in free agency, the list of guys who can provide all of that either on the open market or via trade is short. Very short.

Yes, Kyle Tucker fits that bill, but if we assume that the likely scenario is that the Yankees can't bring themselves to find an extra $400 million lying around somewhere, and instead would (shockingly) prefer a cheaper option, the trade market is where they must venture to. There they'll find the Cleveland Guardians and Steven Kwan awaiting.

Steven Kwan is the Yankees' best option on the trade market to replace Cody Bellinger

The folks over at Bleacher Report named Kwan as the Yankees' ideal trade target with the idea of losing Bellinger in mind, and in many ways, they're right.

If we take a look at the biggest issues with the Yankees' lineup in 2025, we'll see that strikeouts and batting average are what held back a unit that was still, in most respects, the most potent in the league. In the postseason, however, these flaws were exposed. The Bombers posted the sixth-highest K-rate in baseball at 23.5%, and the team's collective batting average was 10th at .251.

Without Bellinger, these metrics look even more concerning. The former NL MVP struck out just 13.7% of the time, while his .272 average was third among regulars (excluding Giancarlo Stanton, who was limited to just 77 games). He ranked just behind Paul Goldschmidt, who is also a free agent.

Kwan hit .272 last season and owns a career .281 batting average, and the 28-year-old struck out just 8.7% of the time, an unheard of number in today's day and age. On the bases, he swiped 21 bags in 26 attempts, compared to Bellinger's 13 thefts in 15 tries.

Where Kwan really shines is with the glove. His 22 defensive runs saved tied Toronto's Ernie Clement for the major league lead, regardless of position. That said, he's played a total of eight games in center field, with just an inning of work at the position coming after 2022.

That means either bringing Trent Grisham back and hoping he accepts the qualifying offer, or handing center field to Spencer Jones and hoping that the strikeout bug doesn't derail him at the major league level.

Kwan is also a big downgrade in power, hitting just 11 homers last season compared to Bellinger's 29. He also doesn't handle lefties nearly as well as Bellinger, who hit .353 against same-handed pitchers in 2025.

Perhaps the biggest drawback is what also makes him appealing financially. Kwan is under team control through the 2027 season and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to make $8.8 million in arbitration in 2026.

The Guardians were reportedly dangling Kwan at the 2025 trade deadline, but ultimately held on to him, presumably because no one could match their price.

Despite half a year less of control, it's hard to believe that the price tag for the two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner will be substantially lower in the offseason, especially given the weakness of the free agent class. The Yankees may already need to earmark trade assets for other needs, making it debatable if they can pony up for Kwan.

Trading for Kwan definitely has its downsides, but making such a deal because Bellinger bolted certainly feels like making lemonade out of lemons. It's the best possible outcome for the worst-case scenario.