Toronto FC makes move to bolster club’s scoring

Trade Hamilton to Columbus for Mullins

Toronto FC confirmed Thursday it was parting ways with backup forward Jordan Hamilton, sending the homegrown player to Columbus Crew SC for American striker Patrick Mullins.

Toronto also gave up an international roster spot for this Major League Soccer season, US$50,000 in targeted allocation money and the right of first refusal for an unidentified player.

In essence, the trade involves two players who have not met high expectations.

Hamilton, now 23, came up through the TFC academy and was 18 when he made his firstteam debut and won his first cap for Canada. He leaves Toronto with 15 goals and four assists in 66 appearances with 15 goals and four assists in all competitions.

Mullins, 27, was twice named winner of the MAC Hermann Trophy as the top male NCAA soccer player while at the University of Maryland, where he scored 47 goals and added 35 assists in 92 career matches.

He has 24 goals with 10 assists in 122 MLS appearances.

It’s a change of scenery for both players — something new for Hamilton, a Toronto native whose only time away from home was a 2014 loan spell in Portugal.

Mullins is no stranger to pulling up stakes. Drafted 11th overall by New England in 2014, he had stints with New York City FC and D.C. United before joining Columbus last July.

“We are excited to welcome Patrick to the organization,” Toronto GM Ali Curtis said in a statement. “He is a player that is competitive and has proven the ability to score goals in MLS. He holds the ball well with his back to the goal and he has the ability to combine with central and wide midfielders.”

The deal reunites Hamilton with former Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko, who is now Columbus’s president and GM.

“In Jordan we have a young forward who has not only won trophies at the club level, but who also has experience competing at the international level with Canada and will provide depth in our attack,” Bezbatchenko said in a statement.