Multiple years after speculation they’d do so, the Los Angeles Dodgers recently traded former first round pick Zach Lee to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for infielder Chris Taylor.
Lee, who was highly regarded when the Dodgers drafted him out of LSU in 2010, never quite panned out and reached the expectations set for him. In six Minor League seasons, he went 52-46 with a 3.98 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.
As the Dodgers continued to stockpile pitching prospects, some of whom have been called on for spot starts, it was evident Lee had fallen down the organizational depth chart.
In his lone Major League appearance, Lee allowed seven runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings against the New York Mets last season.
According to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register, Lee is hoping the change of scenery will serve him well:
“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out with the Dodgers. But I’m very grateful for everything the people in the Dodgers’ organization did for me. I think it’ll be a good thing for me to get into a new situation where maybe I can start clean with a different organization and hopefully re-emerge or re-invent myself to a certain extent and get a fresh opportunity to move forward.”
“I’m excited. I feel like this is going to be a great opportunity for me,” Lee said from his home in Texas on Monday, packing for a trip to Sacramento where he will join the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers.
Lee allowed five runs on seven hits and had three strikeouts in six innings in his first start with Triple-A Tacoma. He then allowed four runs in just three innings during a second outing.
Lee was 7-5 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.49 WHIP over 13 starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. He began the year on a high note, but went 2-4 with a 5.71 ERA in his last six starts for OKC.
