With the Halos mired in a losing season, Boston eyes a move for the controllable shortstop to bolster their infield depth amidst a surprising mid-summer surge.
As of Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels are tied for the fewest wins in baseball with 41, joining the Colorado Rockies in a lowly race for the worst record in MLB.
Angels interim GM John Mozeliak now has a tough task ahead of him, and owner Arte Moreno also needs to decide what to do going into the August 3 trade deadline.
Do the Angels trade away players and stockpile assets for the future? The roster needs a lot of work in essentially every area, and outside of Mike Trout and Zach Neto, there isn't much to be excited about on the offensive side.
Speaking of Neto, the young Angels infielder is drawing interest, and the Boston Red Sox are one team trying to land Neto, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.
"The Sox, after expressing interest in the Los Angeles Angels shortstop last offseason, continue to view him as a strong fit, according to people briefed on their discussions but granted anonymity to speak freely," the report stated.
It seems strange because the Red Sox were viewed as sellers just a few weeks ago, yet a 20-3 run has changed things and suddenly made them buyers.
The Red Sox previously had interest in Neto, so it's not a surprise if they make a run for him this time around.
Boston could use infield help with Andruw Monasterio and Tsung-Che Cheng at shortstop and Anthony Seigler and Romy González at second base.
Neto, meanwhile, is under control for three more seasons and is earning just over $4 million this year, so that's an affordable contract for a dynamic player.
Neto's numbers might not jump off the page. After all, he is hitting just .238, but he has 19 home runs and a .771 OPS.
His defense is also stellar, and the timetable with Trevor Story is unclear, although he is expected to rehab sometime in August.
The Angels could get a decent amount in return for Neto, especially with his cheap contract and the fact that he is controllable.
At the end of the day, it remains to be seen what the Angels do with an interim GM at the helm and plenty of questions swirling about the future of the franchise.
Neto isn't an aging veteran, either, so in some ways, it makes sense to hold him, especially if the Angels don't get an offer they are pleased with.
