The Dodgers don’t exactly have a glaring shortstop problem. Mookie Betts is already there, and Los Angeles can line up with one of the deepest rosters in baseball without forcing another everyday infielder into the mix. That’s what makes Jeff Passan’s link between the Dodgers and Zach Neto so interesting.
On his Sources Tell Jeff Passan podcast, Passan floated Neto as a possible headline name ahead of the deadline and put the Dodgers in the mix with other heavyweight suitors.
“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.
Passan also said the Angels would be looking for a “home run” return, and that such a deal could be realistic. Neto has already been productive in the majors, he plays a premium defensive spot, and he is under team control through the 2030 season. In a deadline market that doesn’t offer many true offensive difference-makers, that combination can drive the price way up.
For the Dodgers, though, the fit is less about whether Neto is good enough and more about where everybody else goes if he arrives.
Betts was moved to shortstop to steady the position and add athleticism to the roster. If Los Angeles landed Neto, the most natural path would seem to send Betts elsewhere, with second base and right field emerging as the likeliest options.
A move back to right field would be especially notable. Betts can still handle the infield, but returning him to the outfield could ease some of the physical load as he gets older. It would also let the Dodgers slot Neto into shortstop, where he would give them a younger, more natural defender for years to come.
That, in turn, brings Teoscar Hernández into the picture.
If Betts goes back to right, the outfield gets crowded fast, and Hernández could become part of a larger reshaping of the roster. He still brings serious power, but his defense and inconsistency could make him movable if the Dodgers decide Neto is a better long-term fit.
So this is about more than a deadline splash. If Los Angeles is willing to pay the prospect cost for a controllable shortstop like Neto, it would point to a broader roster reset - one aimed at getting younger, more athletic, and built around a different core.
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