The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Los Angeles Angeles are expected to be sellers.
But unlike previous years, the Angels may be willing to move talented shortstop Zach Neto, according to ESPN baseball insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel.
“The Angels are at the very least listening,” Passan and McDaniel wrote. “Which is more than they’ve done at past deadlines, and 25-year-old Neto is an awfully intriguing option when Jeremy Pena’s and CJ Abrams’ availability at shortstop is in question.”
In the past, the Angels have stayed put when the trade deadline rolled around, despite multiple seasons where they should’ve been active, most famously in 2023 when they could have traded Shohei Ohtani for Junior Caminero.
But with general manager Perry Minasian no longer leading the ship and John Mozeliak filling in as interim general manager, it appears the club has at least considered maybe turning over a new leaf.
The ESPN insiders wrote that the biggest curiosity in the baseball industry right now is how much Angels owner Arte Moreno will allow Mozeliak to maneuver during the trade deadline.
Mozeliak has shown that he is capable of navigating a team through the trade deadline when he helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series in 2011.
Neto’s name is one of the biggest shockers to potentially be available in the Angels locker room, as trade rumors have primarily included Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano, and Jo Adell.
Passan and McDaniel believe that if the Angels do move Neto, the team could get an enormous haul for him. He still has three more years of club control after this season and has consistently proven himself as one of the top young shortstops in baseball.
Through his four years in the league, Neto has a 14.4 WAR, with a career .244 batting average, 77 home runs, 219 RBIs, and 74 stolen bases in 465 games played.
He’s also emerged as a promising leadoff hitter who would impact any lineup, as 41 of his career home runs have been in the leadoff spot.
Defensively, Neto has struggled at times, as he’s currently going through his worst stretch defensively. The Miami, Florida native has committed 14 errors and is on his way to surpassing his career high of 18 in 2024.
According to Baseball America, the Angels’ minor league system ranks 23rd overall and primarily lacks hitters, with a few quality pitchers, including 2025 No.2 overall pick Tyler Bremner.
If the Angels do decide to sell at the trade deadline and move Neto, it could be the move to give their minor league system a big enough jolt to improve their farm system significantly.
