Examining the Angels' starting options at shortstop
Rhett Bollinger
@RhettBollingerTEMPE, Ariz. -- It was expected, but manager Ron Washington confirmed last week that shortstop Zach Neto won¡¯t be ready for Opening Day against the White Sox on March 27.
Neto remains ahead of schedule after undergoing shoulder surgery in early November but hasn¡¯t been cleared to throw across the diamond or hit live pitching just yet. With Neto out, the Angels will have to turn to an internal option at shortstop to begin the season. Washington said he didn¡¯t know whether Neto would miss a week or a month, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be out too long.
With that in mind, here¡¯s a look at who is seeing action at shortstop this spring for the Angels, including a few recent additions, a couple of non-roster invitees and a pair of prospects:
Newman was signed to a one-year deal with an option for ¡¯26 after a solid year as a utility man with the D-backs. Newman, 31, hit .278 with three homers, 17 doubles and eight stolen bases in 111 games last year, including 55 at short. His range, or Outs Above Average, also ranked in the 91st percentile, per Baseball Savant. Because he¡¯s a lock to make the roster and is a strong defender, he has a leg up on the competition.
Anderson, a two-time All-Star with the White Sox in ¡¯21 and ¡¯22, was signed to a Minor League deal and is looking to recapture his old form. Washington has been impressed by Anderson¡¯s defense and he connected on a solo homer to left on Thursday, which was a good sign because of declining power numbers in recent years. The 31-year-old has a real shot at making the roster, but will have to continue to perform at the plate. He¡¯s also playing second base and will eventually give the outfield a try for added versatility.
The Angels acquired Kingery in an offseason trade with the Phillies and they¡¯re hoping he¡¯ll find his footing in a new environment. He didn¡¯t play in the Majors last year, but hit .268 with 25 homers, 25 stolen bases and 67 RBIs in 125 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, playing 106 games at shortstop. The 30-year-old is considered a plus defender at short and gives the Angels much-needed middle infield depth. He also saw time in left field on Sunday to increase his versatility.
Paris had a rough year in ¡¯24, but the 23-year-old still has plenty of potential and is having a strong spring, connecting on a walk-off hit in the ninth inning on Feb. 22 and hitting a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the ninth on Thursday. Paris, a second-round pick in 2019, is likely to open the year at Triple-A Salt Lake and will have to play his way back up to the big leagues after getting a taste in each of the last two seasons. He¡¯s also spent time at second base.
Just 21 years old, Guzman has developed into a premium defender at shortstop after signing for $2 million in January 2021. But his bat is still a work in progress, as he hit just .206 with six homers, nine doubles, six stolen bases and 30 RBIs in 83 games with Double-A Rocket City last year. Guzman, though, never faced any pitchers younger than him all season and was one of the youngest players at his level, as he was nearly four years younger than his average competition. He¡¯s likely to spend a lot of time in Double-A again, but is one of the club¡¯s more exciting prospects.
Listed at 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds, Mershon isn¡¯t an imposing presence but has a baseball IQ and work ethic that Angels coaches rave about. He was an 18th-round pick out of Mississippi State last year and hit .254 with five doubles, five stolen bases and eight RBIs in 29 games at Double-A. He¡¯s expected to open the year there again and is considered an under-the-radar prospect much like third baseman Cole Fontenelle.
S¨¢nchez, 32, was signed to a Minor League deal after he developed into a regular with the White Sox from 2014-20, which included winning a Gold Glove at second base in ¡¯19. He hasn¡¯t played in the Majors since 2022 and spent last year playing at Triple-A in the Mets¡¯ system, where he got action all over the field, including 21 games at shortstop. He hasn¡¯t seen any time at shortstop yet this spring but has played second, third and right field.