Braves could compete with five teams for Angels' 25-year-old shortstop with 30% trade odds
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Braves could compete with five teams for Angels' 25-year-old shortstop with 30% trade odds originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Atlanta Braves are heading towards the 2026 MLB trade deadline with needs in the outfield, shortstop, and the starting rotation.
While outfield and the rotation might be easily resolved, shortstop is a much more difficult position to address. CJ Abrams of the rival Washington Nationals might not be an option, and Jeremy Pena might be dealt in the offseason. But another target has emerged.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan named the Braves as a potential fit for the Los Angeles Angels' 25-year-old shortstop Zach Neto, with five other teams also tabbed as fits for the star infielder with a 30% chance of being traded.
Braves linked alongside five teams to Zach Neto as trade target
"Chance of being traded: 30%... The Angels are at the very least listening, which is more than they've done at past deadlines," Passan and McDaniel write. "Best fits: Boston, Atlanta, Toronto, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, New York Yankees."
Neto might have only a 30% chance of being traded, according to ESPN, and the note that they're only listening to offers right now might not be encouraging, but the path to a deal seems more open than ever for Neto.
The 25-year-old shortstop would be an incredible pickup for the Braves if they could beat out the Boston Red Sox, among others, in trade talks this summer.
He has 2.5 bWAR this season in 98 games played with 19 home runs, 13 stolen bases, a .235 batting average, and a .768 OPS with a 117 OPS+.
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Even though he might lead the AL in strikeouts with 138, already 12 away from a career high despite his 148 mark in 2025 coming in 502 at-bats compared to just 387 this season, Neto is still a great trade target.
He's under club control through the 2029 season, as he's yet to hit arbitration. Neto isn't expensive to have on the books, though he will cost a fortune to acquire in a trade.
But, for the Braves, adding Neto would give them a young shortstop who could be a core piece of the franchise for many years to come.
There's a 30% chance he's dealt according to ESPN, and the Braves are one of six potential "best fits" this summer. They're going to have to compete with a few other teams to win this bidding war. But Neto would be the kind of upgrade that's worth it.
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