The Dodgers have a deadline decision looming, and it’s not a small one. With the clock set to hit 3 p.m.
PT on Aug. 3, Los Angeles has to decide whether it wants to chase another major piece or stay on the quieter path and patch things together around the edges.
Most of the reporting around the Dodgers has pointed toward restraint rather than a blockbuster. Still, this is a team with plenty of assets, which means the possibility of a surprise never really disappears. ESPN’s Jeff Passan added another name to the mix on his podcast, Sources Tell Jeff Passan: Angels shortstop Zach Neto.
“I think by the end of this deadline, Zach Neto might be the best player traded, and all the big markets could be in on this: the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Red Sox, even the Phillies,” Passan said. “Neto's under control through the 2030 season, and that is a lot of control for a guy who has been nothing but productive. The Angels are going to want to hit a home run on this, and considering the paucity of bats on the market, I think they very well could.”
It’s a name that hasn’t been tied to the Dodgers before, which is what makes it stand out. But if Los Angeles were to seriously explore it, the fit would need some sorting out.
Tommy Edman is at second base and Mookie Betts is at shortstop, and it would be a shock to see Betts moved off that spot now. That likely leaves Edman as the player who would shift to the outfield, especially if the Dodgers deal either Alex Call or Teoscar Hernández, as has been rumored.
The appeal is obvious, though. Neto is only 25 and comes with years of control, the kind of player a front office can dream on. The Dodgers may simply want to find out what it would take to get him.
Neto has been one of the Angels’ bright spots over the last few seasons, and he’s in the middle of another strong year. He’s hitting .232 with 19 home runs, 46 RBIs and an OPS of .757. He has also launched at least 23 homers in each of the last two seasons, and he’s on pace to do it again in 2026.
There’s also the defensive question. Neto is a below-average defender at shortstop, which is part of why he could wind up elsewhere if he’s moved. Even so, his bat and athletic upside make him an appealing target, especially as a home run and stolen base threat near the top of a lineup.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said surprises can still materialize this time of year, just as they have in past deadlines.
“That said, there have been a number of moves we have made closer to the deadline [in past years] that weren’t necessarily on our radar 10 days, two weeks out - just from opportunities that pop up,” Friedman said.
A Dodgers run at Neto would fit that description. It would also be a real stunner. For now, it remains the kind of idea that gets people talking more than it gets people expecting it.
In Other News...
Former Dodgers Breakout James Outman Is In A Brutal Spot Now
James Outmans path since leaving Los Angeles has turned into a cautionary tale for any hitter trying to rediscover the version of himself that once made him look like a future core piece. The former Dodgers breakout and NL Rookie of the Year candidate has seen his offensive production slide badly after moving on to the Twins and then the Tigers, and the strikeout issues that were manageable during his rise have only gotten worse as the at-bats have dried up.
Detroit has kept Outman on the roster for now, which at least buys him a little more time to sort through the mess. But the margin is thin, his playing time has been limited, and every day he remains in that spot only sharpens the question the Dodgers know well from a distance: whether the bat can get back to where it was, or whether this is simply what he is now. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Just Learned A Troubling Secret About Mark Walter
Mark Walter has spent much of the past year trying to project business as usual, making several public appearances after a health scare that was not disclosed when it happened. The Dodgers owners status matters well beyond the boardroom, because he sits at the center of one of the most visible ownership groups in sports and has long been viewed as the steady hand behind the franchises big-picture ambitions.
Now, though, the questions around Walter are no longer limited to his health. His leadership of his businesses is drawing fresh scrutiny at a time when he and his holding company, TWG Global, are already under federal review over financial dealings tied to Delaware life insurers he owns, leaving Dodgers fans with an uneasy reminder that the man steering the club is facing more than one kind of pressure. [Read more 🡒]