The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim haven’t made the playoffs in more than a decade.
To end that drought, they may have to make a tough decision and trade Zach Neto.
Rumors of dealing the star shortstop have persisted for a while now, but there isn’t a particularly pressure-packed ticking clock on the situation — he still has three more years of club control with the Angels.
But if the Angels want to be competitive in the long run, it might behoove them to stock up the farm system and build toward the future.
Neto is certainly ready to compete in the present. Are the rest of the Angels? Aside from Mike Trout, it’s hard to make the case that this roster is anywhere near its contention window.
Zach Neto Trade Rumor
With all of that in mind, Neto’s name keeps coming up in the trade rumor mill.
The latest example is from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who lists Neto as one of 11 players across the league he thinks could move this offseason.
Feinsand delves into the club control aspect but also concludes, logically, that the Angels might simply be better served making a move like this rather than hanging onto a roster that probably isn’t good enough.
“Neto’s name was a popular one leading up to the Trade Deadline, but the Angels opted to hang on to their shortstop while dealing away other controllables including José Soriano, Jo Adell and Ryan Zeferjahn,” Feinsand writes. “With three more years of arbitration eligibility remaining, Neto would be the Angels’ most attractive trade chip if the new general manager – whoever that may be – wants to tear the roster down and start their own rebuild. Neto has 24 homers, 69 RBIs and a .758 OPS in 140 games, posting his third straight season with at least 4.0 bWAR.”
Maybe the most obvious hint of what the Angels have planned is the fact that they dealt Soriano, Adell and Zeferjahn while none of them were on expiring contracts.
That doesn’t guarantee that the Angels will trade Neto — besides, how often does this franchise operate logically?
It does say that the Angels aren’t necessarily thinking about 2027 or even 2028 as the year they figure this all out, either.
A Complicated Offseason
One problem with the idea of dealing Neto this offseason: a potential lockout.
If the owners and players association can’t work smoothly on a collective bargaining agreement, next season might be delayed or even put on hold altogether.
Even if they eventually agree on a CBA, there will likely be changes to salary rules that affect player valuations.
It’s unlikely any kind of trade, especially a big one with a guy like Neto involved, would happen until teams know what rules they’re operating under.
So even if the Angels want to trade Neto this winter, that might prove to be easier said than done.
Angels’ Zach Neto Trade Plans Revealed