Proposed Angels extension candidate might be wishful thinking at this point

The Los Angeles Angels have always been active in free agency, but their work in retaining their homegrown players could use some work. Since signing Mike Trout to his $430 million mega-extension back in 2019, the only under-contract player the Halos have given a new deal to is David Fletcher.

Seeing as Fletcher was out of the organization about two years after inking that five-year deal, it's understandable that the Angels have been wary about giving out long-term money to players with remaining years of team control. It also hasn't helped matters that the organization hasn't exactly been a beacon of player development.

However, the franchise now has a player worth extending — and fast. Zach Neto has proven to be one of the most valuable middle infielders in baseball over the past two seasons, contributing 6.6 fWAR and a 115 wRC+ to the Angels' cause.

The 25-year-old shortstop is arbitration eligible for the first time in 2026 (he settled for $4.15 million), meaning he's still got four years of team control remaining as a Super Two player. Facing that ticking clock, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports believes now is the time for the Angels to get a deal done with Neto.

Angels may be facing last chance to extend Zach Neto this spring

Neto will enter free agency after his age-28 season, meaning he'll still be firmly in his prime once he hits the open market. Any extension will naturally buy out at least one of his free-agent years, meaning the longer the Angels wait, the more expensive he'll become on an annual basis (since they won't have his early arbitration years to balance out the AAV).

Notably, Axisa compares Neto's contract situation to that of Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia, who signed a five-year, $57.5 million extension to remain in Kansas City. The two players aren't exactly equivalent — Neto is the better hitter, while Garcia is a much better defender at third base — but they're both 25 and were arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason as Super Two players.

In effect, that means the Royals bought out one of Garcia's free agent years while giving him a steady $11.5 million annual salary through his arbitration period. It gives the team and player cost certainty, with the potential to turn into a bargain if Garcia develops into an even bigger star. With money and revenue being such a prevalent topic for the Halos in the wake of their uncertain TV deal, this is exactly the kind of long-term money they should be trying to add to their books.

The real question is if Neto feels the same. He's on the verge of becoming a perennial 30-30 threat in the majors, which is immensely valuable even if he has to move to second base down the line. Given the way baseball contracts have been escalating in recent years, would it really be wise for him to give away any of his free agent seasons for security now?

This isn't the kind of situation the Angels can wait around on; Neto is a clear cornerstone pillar of this team. It may require the front office to dive back into some uncomfortable waters, but keeping him in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future has to be a priority between now and Opening Day.