BALTIMORE -- The Trade Deadline is in the books, and for Zach Neto, that alone brought some relief.
The Angels shortstop spent the days leading up to Monday’s deadline juggling two things at once: his name popping up in trade chatter and a tough stretch at the plate. By Thursday, with the deadline gone and the rumors no longer hanging over him, Neto was in a different spot in the order too.
For just the fourth time this season, and the first time since he batted third against the Dodgers on May 15, he was moved out of the leadoff role. Against the Orioles in the series finale, Neto hit cleanup, while left fielder Wade Meckler got the nod atop the lineup for the second time in his career.
“I feel good,” Neto said. “I mean, I don't make the lineups.”
Neto didn’t hide the fact that the last week has been a grind. The uncertainty around the deadline made things harder, even though he ultimately stayed put while the Angels dealt a large group of players for young talent. Right-hander José Soriano, right fielder Jo Adell, catcher Logan O'Hoppe and relievers Chase Silseth, Ryan Zeferjahn, Kirby Yates and Brent Suter were among those traded, while Neto and left-hander Reid Detmers remained with the club.
“Like I said before, it's probably one of the most stressful weeks during the year,” Neto said. “So I’m glad it's over.”
At 25, Neto is still under team control for three more seasons after ’26, which was part of why the Angels decided to keep him. He wouldn’t say whether interim general manager John Mozeliak’s front office gave him any kind of assurance about being part of the club’s plans moving forward or about his status heading into the offseason.
The year has been uneven for Neto, who led the Angels in Wins Above Replacement in each of the last two seasons. Entering Thursday, he was hitting .228/.316/.419 with 19 homers, 21 doubles, 14 stolen bases and 47 RBIs in 111 games. His 158 strikeouts lead the American League, and he hasn’t homered since July 5.
Neto said only that he feels “good” at the plate, but manager Kurt Suzuki was more direct about why the move down the lineup happened. Over his last 21 games dating back to July 9, Neto has hit .202 with a double, a triple and two RBIs.
“I think he just wants to be successful,” Suzuki said. “I think his personality, he wants to be the best player that he can be.
He’s going through a process and learning all these types of things. It's just him just trying to be a perfectionist, and sometimes, it can be tough at this thing at this level.”
Suzuki didn’t close the door on Neto returning to leadoff, just as he did earlier in the season when Neto hit sixth on May 13 and 15 and then batted third on May 16. Matchups could play a role, especially if a left-hander is on the mound.
“We'll take it day by day,” Suzuki said. “We'll just kind of see how it plays out.
Maybe against a left-hander, he'll go back to the top. I don't know yet.
I just feel like now is the time to try to get creative and try different things.”
Suzuki also said it’s hard to measure exactly how much the deadline affected Neto, who had not previously been viewed as a trade candidate. What he wants now is simple: for Neto to loosen up and get back to being himself.
“I don't really know how,” Suzuki said. “Zach would only know, but like for me, like I said, it's just him just wanting to be a perfectionist and trying to put too much pressure on himself. But I think only he would know that.”
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