Potential ripple effects for the Angels following the Zach Neto shoulder surgery

As Perry Minasian said, the Angels need help all over the board. It seems logical that they will not go all-in on one position group financially, and instead spread their money around to attempt and bolster all facets of their team. They can sprinkle some money on their starting pitching, bullpen, run production, defensive skill-players, and overall depth.

One area of depth that became noteworthy recently is an emergency shortstop in the wake of Zach Neto's shoulder surgery. Minasian started the fill-in process by quickly acquiring Scott Kingery, but it does not seem wise to stop there. Kingery is an intriguing buy-low option, but how much faith can you put in a 30-year-old who has not played in the bigs since 2022? Minasian said himself that there has never been a bigger discrepancy between MLB and AAA. So while Kingery performed admirably in AAA the last couple of season, he should not be relied upon too heavily next year outside of a primary bench role.

Others are pointing to Luis Rengifo as a fill-in, platooning Kingery and Rengifo at shortstop. Again, not ideal. Rengifo played 1 game at shortstop last season. He played 37 games at shortstop in 2023, and committed 6 errors in that span. Rengifo has much more game experience at 2B and 3B. While Rengifo technically is a utility man, he does not have nearly the same defensive chops as the average UT.

Will the Zach Neto surgery cause the Angels to go down these avenues? Let's dive into it.

Christian Moore

Moore will already be under serious consideration as a member of the Angels on Opening Day, could the Neto injury have secured his big league debut come March 27th? MLB said about Moore: "he played briefly at shortstop this year but his average arm strength means he's probably more of a second baseman, and it's possible that he could wind up in center field." It does not seem likely at all that Ron Washington would trot Moore out at shortstop with any regularity next season.

Free agent options

Ha-Seong Kim would be incredible in theory, but his status for Opening Day is also in doubt due to a shoulder surgery. Kim won a Utility Man Gold Glove in 2023 and could slot in at 2B/3B when Neto returns, but would ownership be willing to pony up over $20 million a year for the 29-year-old? He also is a better defensive shortstop than Neto. So the Angels would either have their version of the Jeter/A-Rod dilemma, or Neto would need to let up some of his shortstop duties.

How about Hye-seong Kim? Here is what ESPN's Jeff Passan had to say about the left-handed hitting KBO product: "He will be 26 on Opening Day, and his ability to play up the middle (he's a second baseman who has experience and aptitude at shortstop), steal bases (30 this year, 211 in his eight-year career), hit for average (four consecutive .300-plus seasons) and occasionally damage a ball (a career-best 11 home runs this season) makes him a popular midtier player."

Either Kim is highly intriguing as it is not a stop-gap like Kingery, as both players could consistently post every day this season and beyond. They would slot right into the core of the position player group.

Trade options

Edmundo Sosa could be a fit, given the rampant trade activity between the Phillies and Angels over the years. When your team needs a little bit of everything, an experienced utility man is extra-intriguing.

The Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald turned a lot of heads last season, so perhaps Zach Minasian would want to negotiate terms with one of his shortstops/utility men with his brother in exchange for help elsewhere? Brett Wisely or Casey Schmitt both could be options, as they are both 25-years-old and could have a larger role with the Angels. Wisely is the sturdier defender and Schmitt is the more staunch offensive player.

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