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The Philadelphia Union traded one of their starting defenders to the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday afternoon.

Right back Keegan Rosenberry, who was selected by the club with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, was sent to the Rapids in exchange for $150,000 in General Allocation Money, $50,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and an additional $100,000 in GAM for the 2020 season. 

If Rosenberry meets specific performance metrics during his first season with the Rapids, the Union will receive an additional $100,000 in GAM for the 2020 season. 

“I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my professional career,” Rosenberry said. “The Rapids organization have shown massive trust in me by bringing me here and I’m ready to get to work.”

Union sporting director Ernst Tanner mentioned there were several teams interested in Rosenberry, but Tanner said a trade with a Western Conference team made more sense, and the Rapids are happy to welcome the 25-year-old to their squad.

Making Rosenberry available for a trade had nothing to do with his abilities and more to do with the confidence the club has in 21-year-old Olivier Mbaizo, and the position appears to be filled on the depth chart by Ray Gaddis, who is working toward a deal with the club for 2019. 

“That doesn’t have anything to do necessarily with the future style of play,” Tanner said. “The decision was more or less a logic decision. We have the position covered with a very good prospect player in Olivier Mbaizo, who really showed us and play the position very well. In addition, we are in negotiations in a good way with Ray Gaddis, who will do much better on the right-hand side than the left-hand side.” 

The 25-year-old American played 80 games for the Union in his three seasons with the club, and he added three goals and six assists during that time. 

Although he was a solid contributor to the Union defense, Rosenberry was going to be out of contract at the end of the 2019 season, and with depth at right back, the Union opted to act now on a deal for the Georgetown University product while the price tag across the league for him was high enough to get a decent return. 

A majority of the funds acquired in Wednesday’s trade will go toward other players the Union hopes to bring in this offseason, and the moves could happen fast with Tanner hoping to get all of his big pieces in place before the club heads down to Clearwater, Florida for preseason training. 

Tanner admitted the club is still looking to reinforce the full back positions on its roster, as a new left back will be signed to help deal with the loss of Matt Real to the U20 World Cup in May. 

“We need a left back without any question,” Tanner said. “We have to take into consideration Matt Real won’t be available during the U20 World Cup. It’s absolutely necessary to have somebody in place there.” 

Rosenberry was the last of the three players selected in the top six picks of the 2016 draft by the Union still on the roster. 

His departure follows Josh Yaro’s contract not being renewed and Fabian Herbers traded to the Chicago Fire. 

ProSoccerUSA writer Marco Cummings contributed to this report. 

The post Philadelphia Union trade Keegan Rosenberry to Colorado Rapids appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

In a matter of minutes, highly-regarded playmaking midfielder Kelyn Rowe ping-ponged across the league in a trade involving the New England Revolution, Colorado Rapids and Sporting Kansas City.

New England, which has been Rowe’s team since his professional career began in 2012, swapped Rowe for Rapids left back Edgar Castillo. The Rapids then sent Rowe to Sporting KC in exchange for forward Diego Rubio, $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and $200,000 in General Allocation Money.

The move significantly alters the rosters of all three teams, particularly the Revolution, who have been hesitant to trade Rowe for years despite continued interest from a number of clubs.

“Kelyn is a player who we watched in college and we have continued to pay close attention to him over the years in Major League Soccer,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said in a statement. “He’s a guy that we have always admired from afar and someone we think that can play multiple positions as a midfielder or as a winger. We are very excited to add him to our roster.”

Vermes will address the media regarding the transaction in a conference call Wednesday morning at 10 a.m.

Rowe had established professional roots in New England since being taken by former coach Jay Heaps as the third overall pick in the 2012 Superdraft, and he had varying degrees of success with the club.

He emerged as a potential playmaker for the United States men’s national team and established himself as a creative option in the heart of the midfield. But Rowe was largely under-utilized the past two seasons as the Revolution struggled to cope with injuries and a lack of depth. He often filled in at left back, his unnatural position.

By gaining Castillo, a proven quantity on the flank with international experience, the Revs have finally, if ironically, found a way to turn Rowe into the asset they needed at left back.

“On behalf of the organization, I want to thank Kelyn for the past seven years he has spent representing the New England Revolution with professionalism on and off the field,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said in a statement. “Beyond his numerous contributions on the field, he will always be remembered by the club and the fans for his work in the community. We wish Kelyn all the best.”

Castillo, 32, joined the Rapids last year after 11 professional seasons in Liga MX with Santos Laguna, Tigres, Tijuana, Atlas, San Luis, Puebla and Monterrey. He recorded three goals and five assists for Colorado in 2018.

Colorado Rapids defender Edgar Castillo (2) reacts after a play in the first half against the San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. (Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)

“We are excited to welcome Edgar to the Revolution and look forward to having him join us in New England ahead of preseason next month,” Burns said. “We believe his experience at both the domestic and international levels, including his successful first season in MLS with the Rapids last year, will immediately benefit us this season.”

Rowe has been a hot topic on the transfer speculation mill for years. His hometown Seattle Sounders have reportedly sought his talents since he entered the league, though Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey often complained about New England’s stiff negotiating tactics. Last season, at least two teams in Israel also expressed interest in acquiring Rowe.

Unless Kansas City offers Rowe a new deal before 2020 or his contract changes as a result of this trade, he will be eligible for free agency at the end of the next MLS season.

The post Kelyn Rowe ends up in Kansas City after three-way trade appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.