Pitching a Mariners trade offer to secure Zach Neto from AL West rival Angels

It's hard to imagine the Seattle Mariners making much noise on the free-agent market. That's just not Jerry Dipoto's style, and there's a certain disparity at play this offseason. The Mariners need an impact right-handed hitter, and the only one on the market is Randy Arozarena. That's not happening.

The trade market will likely have to be Dipoto's salvation, and that's where there's genuine hope of something big happening. There are trade assets aplenty in Dipoto's inventory. There are also a bunch of hypothetical options for a key area of need: shortstop.

It seems Adam Jude of The Seattle Times is on the same page. He has a trade for a star shortstop as the No. 1 move the Mariners should make this winter, and runs through their potential options: Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, Otto Lopez, Jeremy Peña and Zach Neto.

This won't go over well with Colt Emerson diehards, and those folks do have a $95 million contract to point to as part of their gripe. And yet, the 21-year-old is A) very much unproven after a rough rookie year, B) coming off surgery to his left wrist and C) also capable of playing third base.

All five of the trade targets mentioned by Jude make sense, but he has Neto circled as the best fit. Moreover, he notes that the Mariners even checked in with the Los Angeles Angels about the 25-year-old at the trade deadline. And with Arte Moreno on his way out, the old beef between him and Dipoto will soon be a non-factor in any future trade negotiations.

Here's a 6-player Zach Neto trade that would satisfy the Mariners and the Angels

Neto has his flaws, namely in the sense that he struck out 215 times this season. Yet he's also topped 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 5 rWAR in each of the last three seasons, and he's under club control for three more years before he reaches free agency.

That's an extremely valuable trade chip. So valuable, in fact, that Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported in August that the Angels were asking the Boston Red Sox for Franklin Arias before the trade deadline. He's currently the No. 2 prospect on MLB Pipeline's list.

That hints at a no-go zone there for the Mariners, who presumably don't want their best prospects (Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan) coming back to haunt them in the AL West even if they're somehow not off-limits. If they make a trade for Neto, it should be about quantity over quality.

So, here's a pitch:

They say you can never have too much starting pitching, but the Mariners broke that rule in 2026. And with six starters lined up and Sloan knocking on the door, they're poised to test it again in 2027.

This explains the Bryce Miller component, though there's also an "It's what's best for everyone" component. The 28-year-old was quietly Seattle's best pitcher in 2024. He has since put himself in an unspoken limbo by struggling to stay healthy and effective. A move to the Angels would mean a fresh start, and they'd have three seasons to get him back on track.

Otherwise, whether Michael Arroyo or Felnin Celesten is a better prospect depends on who you ask. Arroyo lacks a true defensive home, but his bat is so promising (i.e., .396 career OBP in the minors) that he ranks as MLB Pipeline's No. 41 prospect anyway. The 21-year-old could step into the Angels' lineup right away, preferably at second base over Vaughn Grissom.

Celesten, meanwhile, is so highly regarded by Keith Law of The Athletic that he had him ranked as high as No. 17 at one point during the summer. The 21-year-old would essentially be Neto's future replacement in Anaheim, with upside as a plus defender with speed and power from both sides of the plate.

As for Luke Stevenson, he's here because the Angels got -1.4 rWAR from their catchers this year. They can hope that Moisés Ballesteros is the answer, but he's generally not seen as being good enough defensively to stick behind the plate. Defense is Stevenson's primary calling card, though he also finished his year in High-A with an OBP over .400 and 22 home runs. He's "only" Seattle's No. 7 prospect right now, but he has overall top-100 potential.

In exchange, the Mariners would get Neto and Ben Joyce as a throw-in with major growth potential. The 26-year-old righty has not found his footing in the majors, largely because of injuries and struggles to throw strikes. He is, however, still armed with a 101 mph average fastball.

It would be a lot for the Mariners to give up, but Neto effectively filling Arozarena's shoes would be an upgrade. The Mariners would still have an annual 20-20 threat, except with the potential for average-to-plus defense at a premium position.

So, who says no?

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