Zach Lee was spared this past season during a transitional trading frenzied period in which the new ownership was trying to make a big splash and attempting to make a run for the playoffs. To trade Lee away now for a 38-year old knuckleballer, albeit a very good 38-year old knuckleballer, would be one way to go for broke and make a championship run in 2013, but it would also weaken the Dodgers future in which multiple pennants could be captured in what I do believe the GBM’s overall goal is….creating a Dodger Dynasty.

Zach Lee, the 21-year old right-hander from Texas, was drafted by the Dodgers in the 1st round (28th overall pick) of the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft. Lee garnered a $5.25 million signing bonus from the Dodgers. Lee won 11 games with a 2.15 ERA and 90 strikeouts during his senior year at McKinney High School in 2010. He was also a great quarterback, and he passed for 2,565 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior. Before he signed with the Dodgers and made the decision to play professional baseball, he had committed to play both baseball and football for LSU.

Lee has played for two seasons in the Dodgers minor league system so far. In 2011, he played for the Single-A Great Lakes Loons, and he finished with a 9-6 record and 3.47 ERA in 24 games started. He struck out 91 batters while walking 32 in 109 innings pitched. In 2012, he split the season with the Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and the AA-Chattanooga Lookouts. Lee started 12 games for the Quakes where he had a 2-3 record with a 4.55 ERA. He struck out 52 and walked 10 in 55 1/3 innings pitched. After his promotion to AA, Lee started 13 games for the Lookouts. He had a record of 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA. He struck out 55 Southern Leaguers and walked 22 in 65 2/3 innings.

Zach Lee at Dodger Stadium. Photo: Ric Tapia/Icon SMI

Just how good is Zach Lee? He is a power pitcher with great control whose fastball averages around 90-91 mph. He can cut and sink his fastball, and this will only become more developed with time. He has a curve and a changeup that he’s working on. The former football star is 6’4″ and 190 pounds. He’s very athletic, and this helps his delivery look easy and balanced. His superb control and strikeout propensity is attributed to his athletic nature and his delivery.

While Zach Lee was once viewed as the future ace of the Dodgers, some now see him as a solid mid-rotation type of pitcher. He could reach the Major League level within the next couple of years, but he will probably start 2013 in AA-Chattanooga before being promoted to AAA-Albuquerque or the big club.

In summation, Zach Lee is a very good young pitcher with incredible athletic talent. He has been consistently ranked as the #1 pitching prospect and overall prospect in the Dodgers farm system. If traded for someone like R.A. Dickey, we could be jeopardizing the heart of the future Dodger rotation. Dickey is looking for a 2-3 year deal, while Zach Lee could be part of the 2014 Dodger rotation and for many years to come after that.

The Dodgers took a risk in drafting Lee who had already showed up to football camp for LSU. Somehow Logan White convinced the double sport star to commit himself 100% to baseball. The Dodgers gave Lee a franchise record $5.25 million signing bonus to be paid out in five years. This more than doubled the Clayton Kershaw‘s $2.3 million signing bonus back in 2006. Baseball America ranked Zach Lee as #62 on their Top 100 Prospects list back in February. They also ranked Lee #49 on their Midseason Top 50 Prospects List in July.

Is Zach Lee destined to be a Dodger? I sure hope so.

Of course during these meetings, trades are discussed, and rumors fly. The rumors fly like a bird across twitter. One such rumor that has caught fire on twitter recently is the rumored trade of Dodger’s top prospect Zach Lee, and shortstop Dee Gordon for 2012 Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey.

Will Gordon be traded?-Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Let me assure you that these are just rumors. There is nothing concrete to these rumors yet. Yes the Dodgers are shopping Dee Gordon, but there is no way the Dodgers would trade their two top prospects for a 38 year old starting pitcher. That seems foolish to me. Since the Dodgers already have Hanley Ramirez, who is slated to play shortstop in 2013, the Dodgers have put Dee Gordon on the trading block. Remember this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to trade him. Basically, it means that they’ll move him if the price is right. Or if they come across the right trade. So far it’s just rumors.

So let’s go through a few of the rumors that have been flying across twitter like Dee Gordon flies around the bases, in the rare instance that he actually gets on base. The Dodgers are looking for starting pitching at this year’s winter meetings. Speaking of birds, the Dodgers are looking for backup plans in case they don’t sign Birdman Greinke.

Now Dickey is in the final year of his contract with the Mets. He is due to make five million dollars in 2013, and then can become a free agent in 2014. The Mets have been trying to sign Dickey to an extension, but according to sources, the extension talks have stalled out. There are other teams that have been inquiring on Dickey. The Mets have talked with seven other teams about Dickey besides the Dodgers. According to reports, the Mets are looking for multiple prospects in a Dickey trade. Reports are surfacing that if they can’t work out a trade with anyone, then they might keep Dickey for one more year and try and negotiate a contract extension, which is what they’ve already been trying to do.

The asking price on Dickey s way too high for a 38 year old pitcher.-Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Even though Dee Gordon is expendable, according to Stacie, It’s highly doubtful the Dodgers would move him during these meetings. I find it even harder to believe that Stan Kasten would part with the Dodgers number one prospect Zach Lee. If you remember he refused to part with him in any trade last summer, and was still able to land players like Hanley Ramirez, Brandon League, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett. There is no reason to part with him now. As far as we know now Dee Gordon is still slated to start the year in Albuquerque, and Zach Lee should start the year at double-A Chattanooga. No disrespect to Dickey. His 2012 campaign was commendable, but he’s too old to be trading away our top prospects for.  It is high unlikely this rumor comes to fruition. In my opinion, the asking price for Dickey is too rich for the Dodger’s blood anyway.