Zach Neto said the quiet part out loud about the Angels’ constant turnover

When it comes to player development, to say that the Los Angeles Angels have issues would be an understatement. The franchise has long had breakdowns at every level, which has led to the prolonged doldrums that we see today.

Whether it's insane drafting decisions, like 2021's all-pitcher draft (which to date has produced zero consistent MLB-caliber arms), lack of investment in even the basics to support player development, and regular rushed promotions, the Angels have repeatedly shot themselves in the foot.

Those issues extend to the big league club as well, where turnover is as consistent as the change in seasons. Halos star shortstop Zach Neto summed it up perfectly when he pointed out that he's entering his fourth season in the bigs and will be playing for his fourth manager in that span.

Speaking about new Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, Neto said, “It’s not the way you want to start your career, having three different [full-time] managers. But Kurt is the man. He’s a special guy to be around. He’s relaxed, but he knows when to be serious.”

The Angels will never find consistency until they employ consistent leadership

Mike Trout might still be the face of the franchise, but Neto is the club's best player. Los Angeles knows the value he brings on the field, but in typical Angels fashion, they've dragged their feet on locking him up long-term.

The 2022 first-round pick made his big league debut on April 15, 2023, and logged 84 games under Phil Nevin. The Angels parted ways with Nevin after the 2023 campaign and moved to hire Ron Washington, who hadn't managed in the bigs since 2014 and instantly became the oldest manager in the league. That's not exactly setting yourself up for long-term stability.

Washington's contract ran through the 2025 season, and unfortunately, health issues kept him out for a large chunk of the year, forcing Neto's third manager, Ray Montgomery, who served on an interim basis. Washington wasn't brought back in the offseason, and instead, the Angels pivoted to Suzuki, though they gave him only a one-year deal.

It's very likely that if things don't go as planned, the Halos will have yet another new skipper in 2027. General manager Perry Minasian's contract is up at season's end, and with a consistently poor showing during his tenure, it seems unlikely Arte Moreno will move to retain him (though stranger things have happened). A new GM would likely prefer to hand-pick his own manager, and if there's no contractual tie to Suzuki, that will be easy to accomplish.

All in all, it really makes you wonder how the Angels plan to build a consistent winner. There are serious displays of incompetence at every level, from Arte Moreno's meddling to the lack of a roster-building plan to all of the player development issues we outlined above.

The biggest thing is that, whatever promising pieces the Halos do have, and in addition to Neto, there are a few, they run the risk of ruining them all through inconsistent leadership in the dugout. Though it's possible that you could say that a player like Neto is incredibly resilient. He's survived the Angels so far, so it's hard not to bet on him continuing to do so. For the rest, though, until the club takes consistency in leadership and vision seriously, they'll find no consistency on the field.