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Ten Best: Metro trades (Part 2)
May 22, 2008
5) 2004 1st round pick to Chicago for 2003 2nd round pick (Eddie Gaven), 2003
Bob Bradley strikes again, trading a future first rounder for a second rounder in 2003, and nabbing teenager Eddie Gaven with the pick. Gaven would make the MLS Best XI in his second season and score eight goals in his third... and then unceremoniously dumped by Mo Johnston to Columbus (see the ten worst trades article). That first rounder was traded to Dallas, and became Ramon Nunez, who was average at best and is now out of the league.
4) Daniel Alvarez to Tampa Bay for Daniel Hernandez, 2000
And now we're back to Zambrano, who traded Alvarez, a draftee who failed to make the team, to Tampa for the former LA player Hernandez. Alvarez would never play a minute in MLS. Hernandez teamed with Jolley and Mike Petke for a terrific three-man defense. But it's giving up nothing for a solid player that vaults this trade up the charts. You can read more about Jolley and Hernandez in Metro at the Millennium.
3) 3rd round supplemental pick to Kansas City for Dave van den Bergh, 2007
Who says Bruce Arena didn't make good trades? Yes, it was a salary dump by the Wiz, but Metro gave up next to nothing to pick up van den Bergh, arguably the best crosser of the ball in team history. The worthless pick? Spent by KC on some guy named A.J. Godbolt.
2) Brian Bliss to Kansas City for 1st round college pick (Mike Petke), 1998
Talk about giving up nothing for something. Just prior to the 1998 college draft, Metro gave up former US national teamer Bliss, who spent a nondescript have a season with the team, for the 8th overall pick. That pick became Mike Petke, who would become a starter almost immediately, and, after spending five seasons with the club, still holds the games played and minutes record. Bliss played just three games in Kansas City, starting just one, and turned to coaching soon after.
1) 2005 6th round pick to San Jose for 2004 6th round pick (Jeff Parke), 2004
And we're back to Bradley again, who saw something that 59 previous drafters didn't see in Parke. So he sent his next year's 6th rounder for the last, 60th pick, and took the Drexel defender. Parke started and impressed immediately; after a dropoff in 2005, he improved in 2006, becoming MetroFanatic's Player of the Year, was even better in 2007, and keeps improving week after week. Petke's games played record could be up for grabs sooner rather than later. The player drafted with Metro's pick in 2005? James Twellman, who never played in MLS.
Just missing out:
Troy Dayak to San Jose for Rhett Harty and a 1st round college pick, 1996
Steve Shak and a 2nd round pick to Colorado for Ross Paule and a 3rd round draft pick, 2001
John Wolyniec and partial allocation to Columbus for Ante Razov, 2005
3rd round pick and a 4th round supplemental pick to Colorado for Hunter Freeman, 2007
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