Jeff Passan connecting Dodgers to Zach Neto trade creates deeper deadline questions

The Los Angeles Dodgers don't need Zach Neto in the traditional sense. They already have Mookie Betts playing shortstop, one of baseball’s deepest rosters, and no obvious opening for another everyday infielder.

That is precisely why Jeff Passan connecting them to Neto is so intriguing.

Passan raised the possibility on his Sources Tell Jeff Passan podcast, identifying Neto as perhaps the best player who could move before the deadline and listing the Dodgers among several major-market teams that could pursue him.

“I think by the end of this deadline, Zach Neto might be the best player traded, and all the big markets could be in on this: the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Red Sox, even the Phillies,” Passan said.

The Los Angeles Angels would understandably require a massive return. Neto has been productive at the major league level, plays a premium defensive position, and remains under team control through the 2030 season. In a deadline market lacking meaningful offensive difference-makers, his price could soar.

The Dodgers’ reported interest, however, raises an obvious question: Where would Neto play?

What Dodgers' reported interest in Zach Neto means for Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández

Los Angeles already moved Betts to shortstop in an effort to stabilize the position and make the roster more athletic. Acquiring Neto would seemingly push Betts elsewhere, with second base and right field representing the most logical destinations.

A return to right field might be the most intriguing outcome for Betts. He remains capable of playing the infield, but moving him back to the outfield could reduce some of the physical demands placed on him as he gets older. Installing Neto at shortstop would also give the Dodgers a younger, more natural defender at the position for years to come.

That possibility leads to another question: What happens to Teoscar Hernández?

If Betts returns to right field, the Dodgers would suddenly have a crowded outfield and could consider trading Hernández as part of a broader effort to become younger and more athletic. Hernández remains a dangerous power hitter, but his defense and streakiness could make him expendable if Los Angeles believes Neto represents a more complete long-term fit.

If the Dodgers are seriously considering paying the enormous prospect price required to acquire a productive shortstop under team control through 2030, this would be far more than a simple deadline upgrade. It would suggest Los Angeles is contemplating a broader roster realignment — one that could reshape the personnel around a younger, more athletic core.

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