Angels Rumors: Zach Neto could be key to long overdue farm system overhaul

Zach Neto was and is the Los Angeles Angels' dream extension candidate. The 25-year-old shortstop isn't playing quite at the peak of his powers this year -- that 30% strikeout rate is a problem worth monitoring -- but he's walking more than ever and is on pace for a third consecutive trip to the 20-20 club. As an excellent leadoff hitter and solid defender at shortstop (at least prior to 2026), he's the perfect piece to build the team around.

However, with a lockout all but certainly waiting on the horizon, the timing may not be perfect for a Neto extension. It also doesn't help, of course, that the Angels are once again one of the worst teams in baseball in 2026.

So, if the perpetually rebuilding Halos decide to empty the cupboards at the trade deadline this year in anticipation of a long hiatus, is it possible that they might consider including Neto as part of their inventory?

Angels' farm system failures necessitate bold actions, like trading Zach Neto

MLB.com certainly thinks the Angels should consider dealing Neto, listing him as one of the nine most alluring trade candidates in their deadline preview. There's no debate as to why other teams would trip over themselves to get into a bidding war for him; besides his age and consistent track record, he still has 3.5 years of team control remaining via arbitration.

Those cheap years of control are extra valuable right now, given that the league may soon be staring down some type of financial limits on roster building (i.e., a salary cap and floor). It's also possible that those arbitration years could be a perfect launching off point for an extension, if another team desires to lock Neto down for the long haul prior to any shifts in the economic parameters of the sport.

It's also not hard to gauge why the Angels would (or should consider) trading their best young player; despite years of losing, the team's farm system is still one of the worst in the league. Tyler Bremner (No. 44) was the only prospect from the organization to make FanSided's most recent Top 100 list, and he's a 22-year-old pitcher with the same number of professional innings as his age.

Perhaps the status of C.J. Abrams, the Washington Nationals' star shortstop, could dictate what the Angels do with Neto. A fellow 25-year-old middle-infielder, Abrams has similar stats to Neto this year (fewer strikeouts, though) and 2.5 years of team control remaining. If the .500 Nationals fancy their playoff chances, perhaps they'll pull Abrams from the market, opening the door for the Halos to hold a bidding war for the best available young infielder.

It's hard to envision the same organization that held onto Mike Trout through endless years of losing being so bold as to trade its franchise shortstop, but the Angels need to try something different in order to juice up a minor-league talent pipeline that has always fallen short.

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