By JOSE M. ROMERO
The Portland Timbers continue to revamp their MLS roster, on Monday parting ways with yet another expansion draft pick and adding a former Arsenal system product.
Portland traded defender Jordan Graye, who spent his rookie MLS season with D.C. United before the Timbers took him in the expansion draft last month, to the Houston Dynamo for a fourth-round Superdraft pick in 2014.
Timbers technical director Gavin Wilkinson also announced the signing of defender Kerrea Gilbert, a 23-year-old from London who has bounced around English soccer on loan to various clubs from Arsenal.
Gilbert has a goal and an assist in 92 career games played in England. His most recent team was Peterborough United. Arsenal released Gilbert at the end of the 2009-2010 season.
"He will be a great addition to the squad,” Timbers head coach John Spencer said in a statement from the club. “Kerrea comes to us from a club with tremendous history and tradition. On the playing side, he’s a typical Arsenal fullback who likes to attack for 90 minutes."
Wilkinson believes Gilbert is the type of player the Timbers seek — athletic and hard-working. Gilbert will be an outside back.
With Graye's departure, the only Timbers that remain from the expansion draft are defenders Eric Brunner and David Horst and midfielders Peter Lowry and Adam Moffat. Portland has traded away four for players, future draft picks or allocation money, and owns the rights to two other picks, Robbie Findley and Jonathan Bornstein, who are either signed to a foreign club (Bornstein) or exploring options abroad (Findley).