Colorado Rapids make a splash in trading for Jermaine Jones
Jermaine Jones finally has a new club. After a winter that saw him publicly feud with the New England Revolution, who didn't want to meet his asking price, the United States international has been traded to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for allocation money and the Rapids' first round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.
The Rapids signed Jones using Targeted Allocation Money, which means he will earn between $457,500 and $1 million, with $457,000 of that counting against the salary cap. That salary will be a significant pay cut from the $4.5 million the Revolution paid him over the last year and a half.
It's unclear how much Jones was asking for from the Revolution, but he was willing to take less money to join a club closer to his Los Angeles home, according to multiple reports. Colorado certainly fits the bill and that will be his home for the 2016 season. The Rapids did not release the length of the contract.
Jones became a household name at the 2014 World Cup, where he played brilliantly for the U.S. and scored an incredible goal in the Americans' draw against Portugal. He not only heads to Colorado with plenty of hype, but also a fair bit of quality. The Revolution took off when they signed him in 2014 and went all the way to the MLS Cup final, in large part due to his play.
If there are concerns, they're with his age and fitness because the 34-year-old did struggle with injuries in 2015. He will also have to sit out the first six games of the season after being suspended by the league in New England's final game last year. In addition, he will likely miss most of June while playing for the U.S. in Copa America Centenario.
The Rapids have vacillated between MLS afterthought and laughingstock in the last couple years, but they appear poised to make a big jump in 2016. Not only have they traded for Jones, but they are reportedly close to signing Tim Howard, who would join the team in the summer. That would make two high-profile U.S. internationals to bring some buzz to the Rapids and also show a newfound willingness to spend big money.
The Revolution did well for themselves in the trade, picking up a pair of assets for a player they had broken off contract talks with and had no intention to bring back. But thanks to MLS rules, they still retained the rights to the out-of-contract Jones and they cashed in on him.
