Toronto trades top pick for cash, second-rounder
Reds add defender Kubel, keeper Shepherd with second-round selections
Toronto FC traded away its top pick in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft in Philadelphia on Friday, and still ended the day younger, deeper and a little bit richer.
The Reds dealt their first-round choice, 23rd overall, to Minnesota United for $50,000 (U.S.) of allocation money and the 28th choice in the draft. They used that pick to select German defender Tim Kubel, 24, from the University of Louisville, then added goalkeeper Drew Shepherd, 23, from Western Michigan University with the final pick of the second round.
Toronto also added 19-year-old midfielder Liam Fraser from its academy. Fraser is the 16th player developed in the academy to sign with the first team. The Surrey, B.C., teenager made 52 appearances in three seasons with Toronto FC II, the club’s United Soccer League affiliate.
“Over the past two seasons with TFC II and during his time with our academy, Liam has shown a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication, especially in his desire to learn the defensive midfield role at the next level,” Reds general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a release.
Kubel had a program-record 26 assists in 82 games with Louisville and could provide depth on the right side of the TFC defence, a role departing defender Steven Beitashour held down last year. It’s an area the Reds were prioritizing heading into the draft. If Kubel starts the year in Toronto, he will likely slot in behind Nico Hasler.
Shepherd, a six-foot-three Michigan native, is behind Alex Bono and Clint Irwin, TFC’s top two keepers, and will likely join TFC II.
Los Angeles FC had the first pick of the draft, selecting defender Joao Moutinho, and traded up for the third pick, defender Tristan Blackmon. But some of the biggest news came outside the draft: Chicago dealt attacker David Accam to Philadelphia for $1.2 million in allocation money and Atlanta signed 18-yearold attacking midfielder Ezequiel Barco for a MLS-record transfer fee of $15 million.
Vancouver added two defenders in the draft, Justin Fiddes at No. 17 and Lucas Stauffer at No. 26, while Montreal traded both its picks for $350,000 of allocation money. There were no Canadian-born players selected in the first round of the draft for the first time since 2012.
The remaining rounds take place Sunday. Toronto holds the last pick in each of third and fourth rounds, the 69th and 92nd selections overall.