Will the Angels Sign Their Young Stars to Long-Term Contracts?

Sam Garcia | Aug 7, 2024

Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the Angels’ standout players are relatively new to the major leagues. Starting shortstop Zach Neto signed with the Angels in 2022 after being the 13th overall draft pick in the first round. Starting catcher Logan O’Hope only has one more year of experience than Neto, as he was chosen as the 677th overall pick in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB draft.

The pair still has a few more years of team control before being eligible to declare free agency, which means the Angels have time to secure the talent of these two for the long run. 

Robert Murray of FanSided suggests the Angels could try to sign some of their emerging young stars to long-term contracts, just as the Atlanta Braves did with Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, and others.

"As far as the Zach Neto and Logan O'Hoppe extension possibilities, it makes sense. Perry [Minasian] has a good relationship with Alex Anthopoulos. He worked with Anthopoulos in Atlanta, and Atlanta is about as good of a team as it gets when it comes to extending players in their prime or when they're just getting going. Exploring extensions for either, I think would be a really smart move for them. If I was them, I'd prioritize getting an O'Hoppe extension done."

- Robert Murray, via The Baseball Insiders

Despite being drafted in the second half of the 2018 draft, O’Hoppe has developed into a top player for the Angels. All three of his slash-line metrics (.277/.333/.796) and season home runs (16) rank in the top 25 among American League players. As a catcher, the 24-year-old has started in 89 out of 92 games he has appeared in.

Neto has been hot at the plate over the past seven games, slashing .278/.500/.556. He has accumulated 14 home runs, 51 RBIs, 25 walks and 49 runs this season. The 23-year-old has started in 108 out of 109 games as a shortstop.

O'Hoppe and Neto have also exemplified durability this season. Both players dealt with injuries that required them to spend time in Triple-A for rehab assignments last season but have remained healthy for the entirety of the 2024 season.

This would be an attractive trait for any franchise, because many star MLB players have gone down to injury this season. For the Angels, key players like Mike Trout are constantly finding themselves on the injured list.

Although the Angels have a few more seasons with both players, the franchise might consider offering an early extension to the pair.