As I told you on Saturday, I'm not getting my hopes up for the Seattle Mariners to sign Japanese free agent Teruaki Sato.

Sato is an imperfect player, and an imperfect fit, but he represents some of the biggest offensive upside on the market this offseason. And for that reason, the Mariners should be at least interested.

But with the lockout looming, I don't see the Mariners spending the requisite money to get him in an uncertain economic climate. I just don't.

However, I do think the Mariners would be willing to make trades before the lockout hits, because even though the economic climate that we'll be playing in in 2027 is unknown, trading for players comes at a known cost and requires no economic bidding war.

And on that note, Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels is starting to appear as a trade target for the Mariners, popping up in multiple spots recently. Our friend Jage over at "Words From the Wharf," mentioned him the other day, and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times did too.

So, here's what you need to know:

Now 25 years old, Neto was a first round pick of the Angels in 2022 out of Campbell. He's a four-year veteran with a lifetime .244 average and a .320 on-base percentage. He's coming off a season in which he hit .239 for the Halos with 27 home runs and 77 RBIs.

He's had 23 homers or more in each full year of his career, and has also had 24 steals or more each year as well. He struck out a ton this season (215 times), and his average decreased, but his power and speed are real.

He's under contract for three more seasons and will likely be one of the most coveted players on the market, should the Angels make him available. 

However, Baseball Savant is rough on his defensive metrics, with him ranking in only the 6th percent of Outs Above Average at -8. The Mariners were the worst defensive team in baseball in 2026. That can't be discounted.

Well, he'd fit perfectly in a lot of ways.

1) He's a shortstop, which the Mariners need in the wake of JP Crawford hitting free agency.

2) He'd allow Colt Emerson to get more seasoning in Triple-A, or to move to third base, which would free Brendan Donovan up to play left field or a utility role.

3) He's also a right-handed hitter, which the M's need in the wake of Randy Arozarena hitting free agency.

4) As a cost-controlled player, that makes sense too.

1) Is the team really prepared to keep Emerson off shortstop for the next three years? They signed him a to a big contract extension with the idea that he's the shortstop of the future, but this move would put that into limbo.

2) Would they move Neto to third base to keep Emerson at short?

3) And of course, what would the M's have to give up? Jude mentioned the idea of trading a starting pitcher for Neto, and while I'm understanding of that, it's a tough box to fit.

The Angels aren't giving up three years of Neto for one year of Logan Gilbert. They probably won't give him up for two years of George Kirby unless you're throwing in something else of real value. (It should be noted that Jage had the Mariners utilizing a third team to make this deal happen).

I can't imagine the Mariners wanting to trade Kade Anderson or Ryan Sloan for him. And I think Bryan Woo is someone they want to build around as well.

The M's might be willing to trade Bryce Miller for him, but at this point, Neto is more proven than Miller, so it would cost more, and the M's have four years left of team control on Emerson Hancock. Do they want to cede that for Neto knowing that Gilbert will be a free agent after 2027?

4) And Jerry Dipoto has never made a trade with the Angels since taking over the M's a decade ago.