The Padres released Lee on Monday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Lee is still only 25 years old, but most of the luster he once carried as a prospect coming up through the Dodgers' system has completely worn off. He had already been dropped from the Padres' 40-man roster in June, but passed through waivers unclaimed and stuck around in the organization as starting depth at Triple-A El Paso. Even in that capacity, Lee didn't do enough to justify keeping him around, as he's compiled a 7.12 ERA and 1.84 WHIP across 67 innings for El Paso, horrific numbers even after adjusting for the hitter-friendly environments where he's often pitched. Lee shouldn't have trouble landing another minor-league deal given his pedigree, but there won't be much excitement regarding his future outlook.