By FRANCO PANIZO
Centerback has been identified as an area of need by the New York Red Bulls, and help will soon be on the way in the form of a young player with MLS experience.
Andrew Jean-Baptiste has finalized a deal with the Red Bulls, The SBI Show reported late Monday evening. A New York City native, Jean-Baptiste was without a club after most recently playing for now-defunct Chivas USA in 2014. Prior to that, the 22-year-old defender spent his first two professional seasons with the Portland Timbers.
Jean-Baptiste’s arrival will give the Red Bulls another option at the back and he should be in the mix for a starting spot. Currently, New York only has two centerbacks in Armando and Matt Miazga on its roster, though the Red Bulls are still in talks with Ibrahim Sekagya about a new deal.
Additionally, the club formally announced another move on Tuesday. The Red Bulls traded for veteran goalkeeper Kyle Reynish, sending their third round pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft to the Chicago Fire in exchange. Reynish, 31, previously played for Real Salt Lake and NASL’s New York Cosmos. He will likely serve as incumbent goalkeeper Luis Robles’ primary back-up.
Here are more notes from around MLS:
SPORTING KC PARTS WAYS WITH BIELER
Claudio Bieler found it tough to break into Sporting Kansas City’s lineup on a regular basis in 2014, and he now looks poised to head back to his native Argentina.
Bieler is set to join Argentine first division side Quilmes, according to the club’s official website. Bieler has supposedly already signed a contract, but Sporting KC have yet to publicly comment or announce anything regarding the forward’s future.
(UPDATE – Sporting KC announced late Tuesday morning that it has parted ways with Bieler.)
The 30-year-old Bieler spent the last two seasons with the MLS club as a Designated Player. He helped Kansas City win the MLS Cup in 2013, but was used sporadically off the bench last year. Bieler made just four starts in 13 appearances last season, and scored twice.
In total, he has netted 12 times and delivered four assists in regular-season play for the club.
STURGIS REUNITES WITH DYNAMO
Two years after leaving the Houston Dynamo, Nathan Sturgis has made his way back to the club.
The Dynamo announced on Tuesday that they have signed Sturgis after acquiring the veteran midfielder in the MLS Re-Entry Draft on Dec. 18. The 27-year-old Sturgis previously spent a season in Houston in 2012, but was shipped to the Colorado Rapids before the 2013 season. He was last with Chivas USA, which was dissolved at the end of the 2014 campaign.
“Nathan is an intelligent midfielder with a substantial amount of MLS experience,” Dynamo vice president/general manager Matt Jordan said in a prepared statement. “We are confident of his ability to contribute to the success of our team this season.”
B.C. PLACE TO GET NEW TURF AHEAD OF WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
The home of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ is going to be receiving a manicure of sorts.
According to the Province, B.C. Place will be getting new turf in time for the start of this summer’s Women’s World Cup. The current artificial surface was installed in 2011, and is expected to be replaced by May.
The current field at B.C. Place has been the subject of much criticism from MLS players and coaches in recent years despite its required FIFA 2-star rating. The new surface will have the same rating, but the change is being done for versatility – it will meet World Rugby standards – and aesthetics.
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What do you think of the Red Bulls being close to signing Jean-Baptiste? Expecting Sturgis to have a regular role with the Dynamo this season? Hoping Sporting KC fills that empty DP spot before the start of the new campaign?
Share your thoughts below.
EoS also reports that RBNY are in talks with Montreal to acquire Felipe Martins, perhaps in exchange for Oyongo.
Potentially fills a need in the central midfield, although they have signed Stolz as well for that spot and already have Dax and Alexander. Alexander could always play out wide I suppose.
I haven’t seen Martins enough to have an opinion on that deal. I am a big Oyongo fan though, would hate to see him go. Looks like Martins is Marsch’s boy – played for him in 2012.
Plus two picks in today’s draft rounds.
I think I’m one solid CB from feeling optimistic.
AJB is a good pickup for NYRB. He played well for Portland, but clashed with Porter and was then traded to Chivas. He is good with the ball at his feet, has speed, and physically is a beast. Many Timbers fans were hoping that he would be reacquired, but knew that was highly unlikely. With some maturity he will be a very strong CB.
If this signing is just for depth that’s ok but they need to sign someone at Olave’s level to replace Olave and even that only gets them back to where they were last year when the defense wasn’t good enough. Instead of chasing Altidore (and failing) RBNY’s “really sophisticated” GM needs to find some high-level defenders.
Yeah, this stockpiling of mediocre CBs is not a good sign. We need to sign two quality CBs, but with three bench calibre guys already on the roster that seems unlikely.
NOT that Dumb?
If there are any Red Bull fans left, looks like an extremely dull year. Basically you have an A hole for director in Ali and his puppet Marsh pulling the strings that are not yet broken. I feel badly for the better players like Dax, Sam BVP and Robles wo have to suffer thru this B.S while Austria makes excuses as they look for a way to dump RB while lies abound. Hey we are New Yorkers and definitely NOT that Dumb?
you meant to say New Jersey-ians right? Regardless, hopefully this pain will be worth it and the “MetroStars” can be purchased by an ownership group that actually tries to win. Would be nice if the Redbulls tried as hard as NYCFC to build a winner.
Plenty of New Yorkers come to RBA. RBA is most certainly in the New York metro area and closer to most of NYC than Yankees Stadium. Don’t really see much evidence of NYY FC building a winner – are you referring to their DP staying at the big brother team in Manchester until summer?
ew jean-baptiste….not good enough