Update 10 pm: Pedroso seems to be on his way somewhere.
According to multiple reports from DC and MLS reporters, FC Dallas has traded left back Marquinhos Pedroso to DC United for a 2020 1st round SuperDraft pick. FC Dallas will also reportedly keep Pedroso’s salary on their cap this season.
An FCD Spokesperson at Tuesday training gave a “no comment” response when asked about a pending trade but Pedroso was pulled out of training at roughly the same time as the reports appeared. There is no official confirmation from FC Dallas of the trade yet.
Update 2:30 pm CT: Goff reports that the hold up is in the method FCD used to sign Pedroso, “discretionary targeted allocation money,” that prevents such a player for being traded for a year. The clubs are still trying to work out the move.
The 25-year-old Brazilian, defense-first left back never really fit in the system employed by Coach Luchi Gonzalez. Coming off an offseason core muscle repair surgery, Pedroso lost his place to Ryan Hollingshead and has been unable to regain it. Rookie left back John Nelson has played so well he has moved ahead of Pedroso in the depth chart as well.
Given the relatively low value of the SuperDraft pick, DC is likely to finish near the top of the Eastern Conference, and FCD eating the cap hit this year, all indications are that Gonzalez really wanted to get Pedroso off the roster.
There have been no signs that Pedroso is a locker room problem. The guy works hard even when not starting and fights for his position. “Marquinhos [Pedroso] is a player that I have a lot of respect for. He’s a true professional and he works hard every single day,” Coach Gonzalez said just last week. “He has a fantastic attitude with his teammates and enjoys his work.”
Which leads us to conclude a couple of things.
1) FCD really wanted to open an international spot. Dan Hunt has been talking all spring about getting a player from Bayern Munich this summer. FCD will need a spot for that player.
2) There is probably a guaranteed contract for Pedroso next season. FCD is probably eating the cap this year to clear the cap space for next year.
Pedroso was on $330,000 for the half season last year. His season-long contract is probably double that and isn’t a number you want to spend on a player buried down the depth chart under the new coach. Since Pedroso was an emergency summer window signing last year after Anton Nedyalkov bailed on the club, FCD likely overpaid him.
This trade, in a way, is also an endorsement of rookie John Nelson. Hollingshead at 28 is at his peak, Nelson should move ahead of him at some point and could hold down that left back spot for years. There is also some serious talent in the FCD Academy Pipeline, notably U17 Jonathan Gomez who, at 15, is still a few years away.
After the Pedroso trade, FCD will have two open senior roster spots and one open international spot.
FC Dallas International Roster Spots
Update: Francis Atuahene got his green card.
1. Pablo Aranguiz
2. Santiago Mosquera
3. Reto Ziegler
4. Zdenek Ondrasek
5. Bressan
6. Bryan Acosta
7. Cristian Colman (after return from IR)
8. Open spot.
9. Extra spot in 2019 via Col trade for Kellyn Acosta (open after Pedroso trade)