Dodgers Acquire Chris Taylor

The Dodgers made a minor trade, sending a former first round pick to Seattle.

Really Dodgers, during game seven?

The Dodgers drafted Zach Lee out of high school in the first round of the 2010 draft. Lee was a highly-touted righty and had committed to play quarterback at LSU, but the Dodgers selected him with the 28th pick and gave him a $5.25 million signing bonus. He was a highly touted prospect, but his shine really wore off and despite pitching issues, Lee spent five seasons in the minors before getting a crack at the majors.

Lee got one start in the majors for the Dodgers, and it did not go well. He allowed seven runs in 4.2 innings in New York and was sent back down to the minors. He was called up and sent down a few times as an extra body in the bullpen, but he only appeared in that one game.

In 2016, Lee posted a 7-5 record and a 4.89 ERA at AAA-OKC. He kept on sliding down the Dodgers’ prospect list, especially in terms of pitchers. MLB.com had Lee as the Dodgers’ 21st best prospect and 11th best pitching prospect.

Chris Taylor is the newest Dodger. He’s seen parts of three seasons in the majors with the Mariners. In 2013, Taylor hit .287/.347/.346 in 151 plate appearances at the major league level, but hasn’t done much in the majors since then. Taylor will be 26 in late August and has played second, shortstop and third base.

Taylor doesn’t have much pop, as he’s never hit more than 10 homers in a season in the minors. In each of the last four years in the minors, Taylor has hit more triples than homers. This season, Taylor had a .311/.388/.459 slash at AAA-Tacoma and 12 stolen bases.

Lee showed some promise, but it was clear that he didn’t really have a spot on the Dodgers anymore. With injury issues mounting in the rotation for the last couple years, Lee hasn’t even been in much consideration for a long-term starting spot. Other pitchers, whether they’ve been drafted or traded for, just seem to pass over him as an option for the Dodgers. It seemed as though he could have an opportunity with Mike Bolsinger‘s struggles and Julio Urias‘ innings limit, but his time with the Dodgers is over.

Next: The Case Against Trading Puig

Both players were on their former teams’ 40-man rosters, so they simply take each others’ place. Basically, what this trade came down to was that the Dodgers needed more depth in the infield and the Mariners needed pitching help. A change of scenery could do wonders for both players.