MLB: Mariners, Dodgers Swap Chris Taylor, Zach Lee
While a minor deal for both clubs, could the trade of infielder Chris Taylor from the Seattle Mariners to the Los Angeles Dodgers indicate both teams’ intentions for the MLB trade deadline?
On Sunday, the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers completed a trade that flew a bit under the radar, as they swapped a pair of minor leaguers, but this trade could have some fairly large implications for the future moves of both teams as the calendar turns toward July and the MLB trade deadline.
The Dodgers’ Take: Infielder Chris Taylor
Taylor is a shortstop by trade that has been handed the starting job by the Mariners twice, and the results have been mixed. Taking over as the starter in late July of 2014, Taylor hit .287/.347/.346 over 47 games. However, when he opened 2015 with the job, he hit .170/.220/.223 in 37 games before Ketel Marte took the job from him and kept it. He’s only had three plate appearances in the major leagues this season.
Taylor was originally a fifth round selection from the University of Virginia in 2012, and his mature bat and speed played well up the line. He moved quickly in the system, and his best season was in 2013, when he hit a combined .314/.409/.455 between A and AA with 11 triples, eight home runs, and 38 stolen bases.
The Mariners thought they’d found a diamond in the rough when he came up in 2014 and performed so well, but he’s fallen off hard with the bat ever since, though he’s had success at AAA offensively.
He still maintains a very solid, albeit not spectacular glove, and he could be a very versatile piece of the Dodgers infield as the season wears on and the age of guys like Justin Turner, Chase Utley, and Howie Kendrick catch up with them, or the possible rookie slump catches up with potential star shortstop Corey Seager.
The Mariners’ Take: Right-Hander Zach Lee
Lee was the 28th selection out of high school in the 2010 draft, and rarely has there been so much buzz about a player taken so late in the first round of his draft season. Lee was a very talented two-sport athlete, and the Dodgers had to buy his commitment away from LSU, where he was going to play quarterback, for a franchise-record draft bonus of $5.25 million. He was immediately listed as the Dodgers’ #2 prospect by Baseball America.
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Lee has had a mixed bag of results since, as he’s struggled to produce to the level of his big bonus. While he had mid-90s velocity and an excellent four-pitch mix coming out of high school, Lee has really settled in as more of a mid-rotation starter that works around the plate and induces weak contact rather than the overpowering, dominant starter that many had envisioned him becoming.
As recently as last July, Lee was nearly impossible to get into a trade package, so to make this move is a big boon for the Seattle system, who is going about adding high quality arms to their stable very well as of late.
What Does This Mean For Each Team?
Coming into play on Monday, Seattle sits at 36-33, 8.5 games back in the AL West, and two games back of the second Wild Card. The Dodgers come into play at 38-33, 6.5 games back in the NL West, but with a half-game lead on the second Wild Card.
The Dodgers have pitching coming back soon in the form of Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu, so they could be more interested in pursuing small additions like Taylor for now until they see what they have in those two arms, and moving Lee in a system so deep with pitching really doesn’t hurt system depth.
For the Mariners, with the news of Felix Hernandez being out and Taijuan Walker‘s injury bothering him again on Sunday, a major league ready arm like Lee that could soak up innings at the back of the rotation would be a very usable asset, and Lee certainly has the pedigree to be more than just an inning-eater.
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This move to me looks like the Mariners still truly want to make a charge to stay in the race by adding needed arms while the Dodgers are fairly comfortable waiting for internal reinforcements while they add around the edges to strengthen their bench and bullpen rather than pursuing a big bat or big arm as has been rumored.