Angels' Zach Neto replacement is costing himself money this season

The Angels needed to acquire several players in the offseason to back up their starting infielders who all had injury concerns coming out of spring training and entering the regular season. With Zach Neto rehabbing his injured shoulder, Yoán Moncada dealing with a bruised thumb, and Luis Rengifo experiencing hamstring issues, Perry Minasian brought in players like Kevin Newman, Tim Anderson, J.D. Davis, Nicky Lopez to help bridge the gap until those three were full-go. Newman was the only one of those four replacement players to be signed to a major league contract, but this will likely be his last season with the Angels with the way it's going for him right now.

Angels' Zach Neto replacement is costing himself money this season

Kevin Newman was signed away from the Arizona Diamondbacks to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Halos during the offseason, which included a $2.5 million club option for 2026. With Neto missing all of spring training and the first 18 games of the regular season, Newman was expected to play shortstop and second base for his new team every day in his absence. The issue for him -- Kyren Paris turned into Barry Bonds, Tim Anderson was out-classing him with the glove, and Newman's already suspect bat has not shown up whatsoever. He only has three hits, all singles, for the year.

Newman has yet to draw a walk this season, a real issue for a hitter who is always penciled into the bottom third of the batting order (Travis d'Arnaud has also yet to draw a base on balls). He's also only averaging an average exit velocity of 86.2 MPH, one of the lower marks of Angels' hitters. The Angels are showcasing their ability to put balls into seats at a high rate this season, and they need table-setters like Newman to turn their solo shots into two-run bombs. He is not doing that to say the least.

With the way things are trending, Newman will not have his 2026 club option picked up. Neto is back as the every day shortstop, Paris is playing more second base, Anderson has a higher defensive fWAR to Newman, and it does not appear that Newman will pick up third base reps anytime soon. Newman has great range but he really does have a squirt gun arm, plus Rengifo is playing well as the team's starting third baseman, and Moncada should be back from the IL relatively soon. Not to mention the Angels have cheaper, more exciting players like Christian Moore, Denzer Guzman, and David Mershon waiting in the wings.

Newman does not have a clear path to get himself playing time now with Neto back, and it's likely he will not pick his game back up to the point where he will have his option picked back up. Unless Newman solidifies himself as a great clubhouse presence, which Minasian views as invaluable, he might need to test free agency once more.

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