June 19th, 2016 at 9:06 pm 
by Ron Cervenka The Dodgers have acquired infielder Chris Taylor from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-handed pitcher Zach Lee.
Taylor, 25, was hitting .312 with 41 runs, 19 doubles, four triples, three home runs, 29 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 63 games with Triple-A Tacoma, including a .414 mark with runners in scoring position (24-for-58). He played in two games with Seattle this year, going 1-for-3, and has appeared in 86 big league games in three seasons with the Mariners from 2014-16, batting .240 with 11 doubles, a triple and 10 RBI. In the Majors, Taylor appeared in 76 games (66 starts) at shortstop, four games (two starts) at second base and one game at third base.
In parts of five minor league seasons, he has hit .314 with 299 runs, 101 doubles, 29 triples, 22 home runs and 180 RBI in 407 games, earning All-Star honors in 2013 (Single-A California League) and 2014 (Triple-A Pacific Coast League). Taylor was drafted by Seattle in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Perhaps Zach Lee will now get the opportunity he has long deserved.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
Lee, 24, has posted a 7-5 record with a 4.89 ERA in 13 starts this season with Triple-A Oklahoma City and is 52-46 with a 3.97 ERA in 139 games (135 starts) in five minor league seasons with the Dodgers. He made his Major League debut and only big league appearance on July 25, 2015 at New York, allowing seven runs in 4.2 innings and taking the loss. Lee, the Dodgers’ 2013 and 2015 Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year, was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of McKinney (TX) High School.
The Dodgers’ 40-man roster remains full.
(Article courtesy of the Dodgers PR Department)
Posted in 
Hopefully Zach gets a real shot with the Mariners, not a one and out. He was just spinning his wheels with the Dodgers looking at what seemed to be a situation that ignored him and sinking in the depth chart.
Good luck Zach.
Wish nothing but the best for Lee. IMO, he needs to get “meaner” when pitching (Drysdale mean) and back hitters away from plate. What I have observed (limited number) Lee throws too many center cut strikes without throwing inside.
Dodgers loaded with SP’ing and Lee well down the list of prospects, not including those drafted this year, whereas team needed another infielder who can play SS, 3b, and 2b. Good trade IMO.
This is one that bodes well for all concerned; the two players, and the two organizations. For whatever reason (perhaps talent), Zach Lee never got a real shot to be an at the end of the rotation starting pitcher for the Dodgers. Mike Bolsinger did…Carlos Frias did. Why not Zach? So now he is going to a team that needs back of the rotation help, and I hope he gets a real look. I wish him luck.
Chris Taylor gives the Dodgers a 25/26 year old middle infielder who is a better offensive version of Charlie Culberson, and a major upgrade over Brandon Hicks. He was not going to get another shot in Seattle. Is he going to be a HOF player…a resounding NO. But he can be a very valuable support infielder if Kike’ continues to decline in his production. He is showing signs of coming out of his season long funk, but nothing like competition to make it more meaningful.
The Dodgers needed a youngish middle infielder and the Mariners needed a back of the rotation starter. I liked Zach Lee, and I believe he deserved more of a chance, but I am also happy that the Dodgers do have a competent offensive middle infielder just in case…Both teams seemed to get something they needed out of this transaction. Both FO did well here.
We have always been in agreement AC about Lee. He should have been given a chance on regular days rest and have been in the dugout and on the team a few days before his start.
His best tool was his command/control and I would rather watch him give up hits than watch a pitcher that makes us suffer through tedious pitch counts.
I want to watch action and not watch watch pitchers play catch. I would rather have lost with Lee than watch a pitcher throw 90 pitches in 4 innings.
Baseball Prospectus report on Taylor: unheralded fifth round selection in the 2012 draft from the University of Virginia despite showing fundamental defensive skills and wheels at the collegiate level. He’s made steady progress since turning pro, hitting at every level and really shining in the prospect-heavy Arizona Fall League (2013), with his gap-to-gap approach and leather ability at a premium spot. Taylor is a polished talent with louder tools than he receives credit for; the arm is strong enough to make left-side throws, the actions at short are clean and athletic, he’s a legit plus runner and he has hard contact ability with the solid-average hit tool. He lacks major-league average power but uses all fields and has gap pop, which keeps his bat from playing empty, and he understands his own strike zone, so will put together good at-bats and force pitchers to beat him. It’s a soft profile in the sense that he isn’t likely to emerge as a middle-of-the-lineup threat or Gold Glove level defender, but he’s basically the prototype for an average player at the major-league level, with more value to the average team because of his defensive ability at a premium spot and his catalytic ability on the bases.
I think the Dodgers are closer to having a young fast second baseman that can replace Utley and Kendrick at some point between July and the start of 2017.
Taylor might not be the answer but I like him at second better than Kike’, Johnson, and Calhoun as far as heir apparent to second, I would rather have him in 2017 than Utley and Kendrick.
The Dodgers seem to be building depth at backup shortstop. I like that.
I figured the Dodgers would eventually trade Lee, since they’ve been by-passing him a lot when it comes to call ups.