Commentary: Post-Ohtani future? Angels promote shortstop Zach Neto, continuing youth movement

The Angels’ mandate from owner Arte Moreno over the last six seasons, all of them losing ones, can be summed up in six words: Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, no rebuild.

Well, about that: When the Angels take the field Sunday in Boston, their pitcher will be 23. Their catcher will be 23. Their shortstop will be 22.

The Angels never did pursue a shortstop last winter. After a winter of trumpeting their newfound depth, they handled shortstop by committee for all of two weeks. On Saturday, they called up Zach Neto.

Neto was their first-round draft pick last year. On April 15, 2022, Neto played for the Campbell Fighting Camels, in a game at North Carolina A&T, in front of a crowd — well, a gathering — of 148 people.

On April 15, 2023, Neto started at shortstop for the Angels, at Fenway Park. The last time an Angels position player made his major league debut with a start in Boston? That would be 1990, or 11 years before Neto would be born.

Might work. Neto hit .444 at double-A Rocket City, with three home runs and three stolen bases in seven games. His career minor league OPS, albeit in 44 games: .937.

Zach Neto takes a swing during a game against Georgia Tech while playing at Campbell University in 2022.

(John Amis / Associated Press)

Might not work, at least not right away. The Angels called up Trout at 19, after he had played 250 minor league games. Trout hit .163 in 14 games, and the Angels returned him to double-A.

This not-quite-rebuilding is not entirely by design. Moreno has not paid a luxury tax since 2004, and the Angels’ financial flexibility subsequently is limited because three players — Trout, Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon — account for roughly half the payroll this season.

Under general manager Perry Minasian, the Angels have not been shy about challenging their prospects with high minor league placements, then promoting them to the majors as needs arise and performances warrant.

The catcher, Logan O’Hoppe, appears to have won the starting job in the absence of veteran Max Stassi, who is on the injured list and dealing with an unspecified family situation as well. The pitcher, Reid Detmers, the Angels’ first-round pick in 2020, has made 15 minor league appearances.

Credit to Minasian for not letting his miscalculations stand in the way of the Angels’ progress. Minasian signed Stassi for $17.5 million through 2024 and infielder David Fletcher for $26 million through 2025; both have performed below league average since Minasian awarded them long-term contracts.

On Saturday, to make room on the roster for Neto, the Angels sent Fletcher to triple-A Salt Lake.

If the Angels drop Jake Lamb from the roster when first baseman Jared Walsh returns from the injured list, their oldest position player would be Trout, at 31. (Stassi is five months older than Trout, but his return date is uncertain.)

Angels

Anthony Rendon commits two of Angels’ three errors in a sloppy loss at Boston

Third baseman Anthony Rendon was charged with two of the Angels’ three errors Friday night as they suffered a 5-3 road loss to the Boston Red Sox.

April 14, 2023

Installing rookies at the two most critical defensive positions in a must-win season is not the preferred recipe for success, and certainly not on a trip in which Fenway Park is followed by Yankee Stadium. On Saturday morning, the Baseball Prospectus and Fangraphs projections each gave the Angels a slightly less than 50% chance to make the playoffs.

But then the Angels come home, to face what appear to be the two worst teams in the American League: the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics. If the kids can stay afloat, well, you never know.

Can the Angels win with Ohtani this season? Might Ohtani stay in Anaheim beyond this year? You never know.

Yet take a look at the Angels on Sunday. For all the understandable cries of “Oh my God, what happens if Ohtani leaves?” among Angels fans, the Angels are showing you.

Ohtani might not be here. But Detmers will be, and O’Hoppe, and Neto too. The post-Ohtani future has reared its head.

This year? Moreno has made clear he would rather have fans get the chance to see Ohtani and Trout than embark on a rebuild. It would be quite the plot twist if Ohtani and Trout can finally get into the playoffs, with a push from the kids.