The New York Yankees have a major question mark at shortstop, and they could look to the trade market.
Jose Caballero and Anthony Volpe have been splitting time at shortstop, but whether or not either is a long-term answer at shortstop is uncertain. With that, MLB analyst Billy Heyen of Sporting News urges the Yankees to pursue a trade for Zach Neto from the Los Angeles Angels.
“The New York Yankees have an uncertain future at short, too, although they have more options with Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero, along with rising prospect George Lombard Jr. Neto would be intriguing as a player under club control for three years after this one,” Heyen wrote. “That would make his trade cost higher, but it would also make him a more exciting acquisition for a new team. And if Neto is on the block come July, he’ll be the type of guy who can determine the World Series champion if he ends up in the right place.”
Neto is one of the top young players in the MLB, so acquiring him would cost a lot. But he could be the Yankees shortstop for the next decade, which would solidify the position. He also hits the ball well, so he’d add another impact bat to the lineup.
Neto is hitting .229 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs this season.
Neto Could be on Trade Block
Although Neto is a key part of the Angels roster, his name has come up in trade rumors.
The Angels will be sellers ahead of the trade deadline, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand named Neto as a potential trade candidate ahead of the August 3 deadline.
“With the worst record in the American League and no real hope of turning things around, the Angels may be in position to embark on a rebuild,” Feinsand wrote. “Trading a 25-year-old shortstop might seem counterintuitive, but Los Angeles doesn’t have a ton of trade chips to cash in, so moving Neto might be a key to bringing back a haul of young players.
“Neto is earning $4.5 million this season, but is arbitration-eligible for three more years, offering the type of control teams covet. Over his past 23 games, Neto has seven home runs, 14 RBIs and a .921 OPS, though his defense has been poor this season (-10 Outs Above Average).”
With Neto under team control for three-and-a-half more seasons, he would be highly sought after and would fetch the Angels a massive return.
Yankees Have Question Mark on Shortstop
New York has Volpe and Caballero at shortstop, but neither is a long-term solution.
However, with both healthy, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said both have deserved to play, which makes their decisions tough.
“They both, in a lot of ways, deserve to be playing there,” Boone said of his two shortstops. “We’ll continue to try and just do what’s best for the team. … He and Cabby, I have a ton of confidence in both of them and their ability to play at a high level out there. Now we have to keep doing it. But I like what I’m seeing.”
The Yankees enter play on June 12 with a record of 41-26.
Yankees Linked to Intriguing 25-Year-Old Shortstop in Blockbuster Move