Zach Neto's arbitration clock just revealed the cost of Angels' impatience

Eric Cole

Los Angeles Angels v Seattle Mariners / Brandon Sloter/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Angels are famous for their willingness to blast prospects through the minor leagues quickly. Nolan Schanuel got called up to the big leagues after just 21 games in the minor leagues and Christian Moore was on the fast track as well before the Angels pumped the brakes a bit after his insane pro debut. However, one name that doesn't get talked about enough in this conversation because, well, it worked is Zach Neto.

Neto was promoted to the big leagues after just 44 minor leagues, but that decision has proven to be a good one. Aside from some injury issues, Neto has been one of the Angels best players the last couple of years thanks to a blend of speed, power, and defensive acumen that is hard to find in a single player. In fact, he has been so good that some have been clamoring for a Neto extension for years now.

Unfortunately, such an extension has not happened and the Angels' decision to call him up so quickly has finally come home to roost when it comes to arbitration. Neto's call-up date allowed him to be considered a Super Two player and that not only means that he is getting more expensive sooner than normal, but it also officially starts his countdown to free agency without a long-term plan in place.

Zach Neto and the Angels have agreed to a $4.15 million deal to avoid arbitration, per source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 8, 2026

Angels' aggression with Zach Neto has pushed both sides into an awkward position after arbitration deadline

The amount that the Angels pay Neto in 2026 is almost irrelevant. While the TV rights drama that is engulfing MLB again does include the Angels, a first year of arbitration raise isn't likely to move the needle much. What matters is that Neto is starting to make real money now and the allure of free agency can start to take hold because the Angels have been unwilling/unable to get an extension done with arguably their most promising young player.

Thankfully, Neto isn't too expensive yet, so there is still time to work something out. At a little over $4 million for 2026, Neto is actually getting over a million less than what Spotrac projected for him in 2026. This is the Angels we are talking about, but it does seem like Neto is at least willing to work with the front office and that could make a future extension at least marginally more likely.

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.