Angels can't ignore what Zach Neto's arbitration projection is telling them this offseason

While Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto was one of the team’s better players yet again after a bit of a rough start to the 2026 season, now the Halos face another offseason of wondering what to do with him.

Should they extend him and ensure he’s part of the team’s future for a while? Or is now the time to trade him and get some prospects for him while he is still valuable?

The Angels were reportedly close to trading him to the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline but a deal did not come to fruition. Maybe Neto’s projected arbitration salary will be enough to push the Angels towards trading him.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Neto is projected to earn a $9.8 million salary next season. That’s not a completely unreasonable amount for a guy with his career numbers, but he is only going to get more expensive and has three more years of arbitration-eligibility before he hits free agency after 2029.

He’s only 25 years old and it’s not crazy to think he will remain a productive player through his twenties. If the Angels could get him on a reasonable extension it may be worth it, but if he wants anything that extends into his mid-to-late thirties that would probably be unwise.

Angels need to be honest about when they think they'll be good again

The Angels have to ask themselves when they realistically think they can next be competitive. If they’re being honest with themselves, 2029 is the most likely year they’ll be back in the mix but teams like the Chicago White Sox have shown a turnaround can happen much quicker than that.

Still, the smartest thing they can do is amass prospects and try to build for the future. They already have an interesting young shortstop in top prospect Arjun Nimmala so it’s not as if they don’t have a plan at shortstop if they were to trade Neto.

That’s why this offseason is finally the time for the Angels to trade Neto. If the Red Sox are still interested, maybe losing to the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card for a second straight year will make them desperate enough to make a big move. Perhaps the Angels could even land Boston’s top prospect Franklin Arias in a deal.

There’s a case for keeping Neto if the Angels genuinely think he can still be a solid player for the team’s next window of contention, but since that window is so unclear they need to trade him now and get some prospects before it is too late.

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