Colorado Rockies ink former Dodgers first-round draft pick

After pitching at the Major League level for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the Colorado Rockies are looking to see if Zach Lee can bring anything to the club in 2022 and beyond.

The 30-year-old Lee was signed to a minor league deal by the Colorado Rockies after spending last season in the Triple-A levels for the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks. In 24 combined games (including 16 starts) with those two franchises, Lee posted a 6.25 ERA and 1.61 WHIP.

So what can Zach Lee bring to the Colorado Rockies organization?

Lee has started 225 of the 243 minor league games he has been a part of since being drafted by the Dodgers with the 28th overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft. And yes, if you know Dodgers minor league history, Lee has already spent time at Triple-A Albuquerque (where he will very likely be with the Rockies to start the season) back when the team was part of the Los Angeles farm system. That was in 2014 and Lee went 7-13 with a 5.38 ERA in 28 games (27 starts).

He made his Major League debut the next season, throwing 4.2 innings against the New York Mets on July 25. However, Lee was rocked by 11 hits and seven earned runs in the outing. It would be his only time on the mound with the Dodgers, as he was traded during the 2016 campaign to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Chris Taylor. The trade has become a big win for the Dodgers as Taylor and his versatility became an integral part of the Los Angeles lineup.

Lee’s only other MLB experience came in 2017 in three games with the Padres (one start) where he allowed eight hits in eight innings and walking eight while striking out six.

His overall MLB WHIP stands at 2.211 in 12.1 combined frames.

It is likely that Lee will provide depth for the Rockies at the minor league level, with a chance to show at spring training what he can bring to the organization once the MLB lockout ends.