The Vancouver Whitecaps continue their roster reshuffle.
As expected, the Whitecaps shipped out Tim Parker to the New York Red Bulls on Friday. The move materialized in the form of a significant deal that not only involves the Whitecaps acquiring a key piece in Brazilian midfielder Felipe Martins but also $500,000 in targeted allocation money — $225,000 of 2018 TAM and $275,000 of 2019 TAM — and an international roster spot.
That last part will be key in finding room to register both Felipe and recently acquired English midfielder Jordon Mutch for the 2018 season.
“As always, this decision was made in the best interest of our club in the short, medium and long-term,” Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson said. “We are thankful to Tim for his contributions over the last three seasons and wish him well moving forward.
“Felipe has consistently proven to be one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Major League Soccer. He’s fiercely competitive, very comfortable on the ball and creative going forward. We firmly believe he’s someone that will make the players around him better and we’re delighted to add him to our group in the prime of his career.”
Parker, 25, joined the Whitecaps as the 13th overall selection in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft and played 100 games for the Whitecaps, recording four goals and three assists in all competitions. He was also a standout player for the Whitecaps last season forming a reliable defensive tandem with captain Kendall Waston, but with contract negotiations coming to a standstill this winter and Parker’s contract expiring at the end of the season the Whitecaps were exploring a trade for the Hicksville, N.Y., native.
Felipe adds an important creative element to the lineup and further depth to Vancouver’s midfield that could allow the Whitecaps to move newly-acquired Efraín Juárez to right back. And finally, the Whitecaps have enough breathing room in form of TAM and General Allocation Money to make adjust the roster later on this season.
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