The flip side of the Red Bulls’ efficiency is ruthlessness, and they showed no sentimentality in trading away team captain Dax McCarty — just two days after his wedding, no less.
The Red Bulls shipped McCarty — who is set to arrive at U.S. National Team training camp — to the Chicago Fire for $400,000 in general allocation money, which will be spread over the next two seasons.
“We thank Dax for his service to the club. He’ll go down as one of the best players and captains in franchise history,” coach Jesse Marsch said. “At this point in time, we felt that this was the right move to put our team in the best position to succeed, both now and for years to come.”
It’s the latest in a string of club legends the Red Bulls have moved on from, trading away Giovanni Savarese in 1999 and Mike Petke, who held the club record for appearances, in 2002. McCarty has since tied the mark for appearances at 169 and logged more minutes than anybody in team history.
But that didn’t stop the Red Bulls and sporting director Ali Curtis from moving on, subscribing to the theory it is better to move a player a year too early than a year too late. And Marsch is right. It will help not only in the present but the future.
After losing right back Chris Duvall, the club has utility men Sal Zizzo and Connor Lade but could use a starting-quality fullback, depth at center back or maybe even another striker, linked with Terrence Boyd. The Red Bulls have significant money tied up in midfielders Sacha Kljestan, Gonzalo Veron and Daniel Royer. McCarty was set to make a $400,000 base salary and count $500,000 against the cap.
Monday’s trade should allow the Red Bulls to make moves and bolster the rest of the roster, with their first CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal against Vancouver not far off. They won’t even have to hurt the defensive midfield spot to do it.
Granted, McCarty is a 2015 MLS Best XI pick coming off a solid season in which he started 28 games, but he turns 30 in April and missed time due to a fractured tibia.
Homegrown product Sean Davis emerged in his absence. The Red Bulls went undefeated in the five games Davis started during that span. After a middling performance while stuck on the bench, he put on a dazzling display in his 10 starts last season, with two goals and two assists despite often playing deep. At 23, Davis has proven ready.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old homegrown Tyler Adams — a U.S. U20 starter — has potential that needs to be groomed. Arun Basuljevic is unsigned but could warrant a homegrown contract as well.
