For years, the Angels under Arte Moreno felt like a team that would talk itself out of the hard move. That’s why the Zach Neto chatter stands out. A homegrown shortstop with three years of club control left after this season is not the kind of player this organization has usually put on the table, but Jeff Passan reported the Angels are “listening” on Neto, and Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic said the Red Sox view him as a strong fit in Boston.
Passan also put the odds of an actual deal at 30 percent, which keeps this in the realm of possibility rather than inevitability. Still, just having Neto’s name in the discussion is a meaningful change for a franchise that has often avoided the kind of move that would force a real reset.
The biggest reason for that shift appears to be John Mozeliak. He stepped in as the Angels’ baseball operations lead in late June after Perry Minasian was fired, bringing with him 18 years of experience running baseball operations in St.
Louis, where he won a World Series and racked up plenty of wins beyond that. The Angels brought him in for credibility, and he has already said something that cuts against Moreno’s old reputation for meddling.
Asked about working under an owner with that history, Mozeliak said, “I definitely feel like Mr. Moreno is trusting me to get this right.”
That line matters because it suggests the Angels may actually be operating differently now. And if they are, Neto is the clearest test case.
The 25-year-old enters the weekend tied for the American League lead in runs scored with 69, and he’s doing it while hitting .238/.326/.446 with 19 home runs. In a lineup that needs offense, that production makes him more than just another trade chip.
His name being mentioned alongside Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano also says plenty. It signals that Mozeliak may not be treating anyone as untouchable. For an Angels club that has spent years resisting a true teardown, that’s a major departure.
There are still reasons a trade might not happen. Neto has dealt with soreness in his shoulder multiple times, and the lingering effects of his early-season shoulder injury could make teams hesitate or lower the offers.
Boston’s interest could also fade if his numbers slip before the deadline. That’s how these things go: plenty of buzz, not always much action.
Even so, this is not nothing. A 30 percent chance is still a real chance, and for an organization that has so often refused to make this kind of move, the mere fact that Neto is in the conversation says a lot. Whether the Angels follow through or not, this is the first major sign that Mozeliak may have the freedom to do what Moreno’s teams have usually avoided.
In Other News...
Angels Fans Wont Like Where This Zach Neto Trade Talk Is Going
Zach Neto keeps looking like the kind of young, controllable infielder who would draw attention if the Angels ever decided to listen, and that alone is enough to make this a conversation worth monitoring. The Red Sox have been floated as a possible fit, with the appeal centered on Netos offensive upside and the fact that he is under team control through 2029, which makes him far more than a one-year rental.
The catch for Angels fans is that the chatter is not just about interest, but about how expensive a deal would have to be to even get Boston to the table. The speculative return has already started to include high-end prospects such as Marcelo Mayer, along with other young talent, while the odds of a deal are still being described as relatively slim. For now, there is no official offer or agreement, but the mere fact that Neto is being discussed this way says plenty about how valuable he has become. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Sox Catcher Suddenly Lands In A Spot Boston Fans Will Notice
Matt Thaiss has found a new landing spot after his release from a non-roster deal with the Red Sox, and it is one that will be familiar to anyone who followed his early career with the Angels. Houston signed the catcher to a minor league contract and sent him to Triple-A Sugar Land, giving the former first-round pick another chance to work his way back into a big league conversation after spending most of his seven major league seasons in Anaheim.
For the Astros, the move is about depth as much as anything else. Their catching group has not provided much offense, so Thaiss gives them another experienced option to stash in the system in case injuries create a need behind the plate. For Angels fans, it is another reminder of how long Thaiss has been around, and how often a players next stop can say as much about the market as it does about the player himself. [Read more 🡒]
Another Angels Pitching Gamble Is Turning Into A Disaster
With nine days left before the trade deadline, the Angels are once again staring at the kind of roster crossroads that tends to define a lost season. Sitting near the bottom of the standings, they look more like sellers than buyers, and the pitching decisions they made last winter are now part of the reason why. The club committed $20.6 million to a batch of free-agent arms with bounce-back appeal, hoping at least one or two would stabilize the staff.
Kirby Yates has been the best of that group, but the rest have not given the Angels much to hold onto. Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano both ran into trouble and were designated for assignment, and Alek Manoah has become the most troubling case of all. After a rough stint in the majors, his latest stop has only deepened the concern around what comes next for a pitcher the Angels were counting on to be part of the answer. [Read more 🡒]