Angels sign their potential Zach Neto replacement

It did not take long for Perry Minasian to lock in his temporary Zach Neto replacement. It's been reported that the Angels reached a deal with INF Kevin Newman for one year plus a club option for 2026.

In the wake of Neto's potential prolonged absence, Minasian got right to work. He brought in a stabilizing defensive force in the infield. That being said, the 31-year-old is the type of player the Angels needed even if Neto was healthy--a Swiss Army Knife of positional versatility who can make both the easy and difficult plays all over the infield, either as a starter or a late-game defensive replacement.

Newman played predominantly shortstop for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season while their everyday starter, Geraldo Perdomo, rehabbed a meniscus tear. He also played second base, first base, third base, and left field. How good is his defense? Last season, the utility man's 6 OAA ranked in the 91st percentile of all MLB players, and his 6.5 defensive fWAR was the second highest mark on the Diamondbacks. He trailed Gabby Moreno, and would have only trailed Logan O'Hoppe last season with that fWAR if he were on the Angels. Of the free agent MLB shortstops, his 1.4 WAR ranked 5th (trailing Willy Adames, Ha-Seong Kim, Jose Iglesias, and Paul DeJong).

Kevin Newman is not a well-known name, but will be incredibly valuable for the Angels

Offensively, Newman has some strengths. He does not grade out as a phenomenal hitter, but he does prototypical things with the bat that one would expect from a utility man. He does not strike out or swing and miss much, he works counts, and sprays the ball all over the field. He's a table setter who the Diamondbacks utilized mostly as a double-leadoff. He did have great stretches of hitting last year. His slash line was poor in April, but he rebounded and posted very solid batting averages from May until September. His once elite sprint speed has regressed down to average, but he remains a base stealing threat. Perhaps the elite Diamondbacks offense boosted his offensive stats higher than they would have been elsewhere, but he is respectable at the plate.

Outside of first base, the Angels have a myriad of infield questions. When will Neto return and will he look like himself when he does? Will Anthony Rendon and Scott Kingery turn their careers around, or will they be cut from the team? Where will Luis Rengifo play and can he stay healthy? Does Christian Moore factor into the team's plans sooner rather than later? Kevin Newman will be an essential glue-guy for Ron Washington next season, and a potential solution to any issue that arises with Neto, Rendon, Kingery, and Rengifo.

Newman was a former first round pick out of the University of Arizona. He went 19th overall in the 2015 MLB Draft to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He debuted for the Buckos in 2018 and played five seasons thereafter, then signed with the Reds in 2023, and DBacks for last season.

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