Dynamo Trade for Nathan Sturgis from Toronto FC
by Zach Woosley on Dec 28, 2011 6:49 PM CST
in Signings, Trades & Transfers
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The Dynamo have acquired 24-year old midfielder Nathan Sturgis from Toronto FC in exchange for a conditional 2014 MLS SuperDraft pick.
Sturgis hasn't fit in to Aron Winter's plans in Toronto and he has an extremely reasonable salary which shouldn't hurt the Dynamo's cap space too much. Sturgis isn't flashy, hell, he's downright average, but he's a player that can provide depth and minutes and every team needs players just like that. More importantly, Dominic Kinnear has a knack for getting a lot out of guys you might not expect as much from. This deal is right up his alley and just remember what we all learned in 2011...In Dom We Trust.
Houston is Sturgis' fifth stop since joining MLS in 2006 with the Galaxy. He's spent time with Real Salt Lake and Seattle as well.
The press release from the team is after the jump.
Dynamo acquire midfielder Nathan Sturgis
Houston sends conditional draft pick to Toronto FC
HOUSTON, TX (Thursday, December 29, 2011) - The Houston Dynamo have acquired midfielder Nathan Sturgis from Toronto FC in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, it was announced today.
Sturgis, 24, played 14 games for Toronto FC in 2011. The versatile midfielder is entering his seventh season in the league after being drafted by the LA Galaxy with the 12th overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
"He is a smart, versatile player," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "He can play a number of positions and is very skillful on the ball. I think he will be a big help for us this year."
The Florida native started 27 games for the Galaxy before being traded to Real Salt Lake in 2007. After playing eight games for Salt Lake, the Seattle Sounders selected Sturgis with their second pick in 2008 Expansion Draft. He played in 29 games over two seasons for Seattle and tallied one goal and two assists. Sturgis also has international experience, having made 40 overall appearances for the U.S. U-20 national team including appearances at the 2005 and 2007 FIFA World Youth Championships.
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Release the Sturge!
We used Sturgis to calibrate our rating system at Sounder at Heart, since he’s the most average MLS player in the universe. If you can get that for cheap, rock on.
Nos Audietis
he'll probably do ok
never really seemed to fit in at toronto for whatever reason, but in a well organised team, he’ll be a good depth player who can slip easily into the team when necessary without making everyone groan at the mere sight of his name on the teamsheet.
I profiled every single tfc player this post season, here’s the sturgis entry.
Managing editor of SBNation's Toronto FC blog,Waking the Red .
by Duncan Fletcher on Dec 28, 2011 8:09 PM CST up reply actions
Thanks for that
I read that earlier and I’d say its a pretty good depth signing…considering we’re going to be in 3 competitions this upcoming season we’re going to need the depth, and also I’m curious to see if Dom can pull a “Moffat” and take a sub and get the most out of him. In any event, curious to see how he plays when we want to switch up Moffat, assuming that Camargo stays the CM/CAM
I had totally forgot...
About the competitions this season. Damn MLS Playoff run. Well, then yes, Sturgis makes a ton of sense. Now, who do we have for when we need to rest MV-Davis?
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
Oscar Boniek Garcia?
MLSsoccer.com reported this link http://www.diez.hn/Ediciones/2011/12/27/Noticias/Boniek-Garcia-con-opcion-de-irse-a-la-MLS
If I remember correctly, wasn’t he on board and had pretty much packed his things when his club decided to pull out?
by foreverorange25 on Dec 28, 2011 11:51 PM CST up reply actions
I believe it was a matter of his club letting him go yeah
That or a work visa. Too many international possibilities last season to remember exactly.
Good grab though.
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
All of my Sounders friends will consider this a good pick up
It certainly adds depth and hopefully he’s flexible with where he can play in the midfield or his playing time will be limited unless there are some injuries.
So now...
We have 3 DMs on the roster. Carmago, Moffat and Sturgis. Neither Carmago or Moffat or going anywhere, so while the added depth makes sense — especially at the rate Sturgis goes for, but beyond depth this move doesn’t actually make any sense.
Unless Dom intends to trot out Moffat and Carmago as he did last season, with the DMs playing ever-shifting DM to CM every so often during the flow of play. Then, and only then, does it make any real sense to have 3 DMs on the roster. Granted, I haven’t taken a look at this Draft Class, but I hear there are some pretty decent talents in there.
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
Depth isnt a good enough reason?
Camargo is our CAM with current line up, so in essence we had no one behind moffat.
It was a 2014 conditional pick, so assuming It’s tied to playing time were probably only giving up a late round pick….a few years down the road. It might not be flashy, but these are the kinds of moves that can make a HUGE difference in being able to survive a crowded schedule. Assuming we’re getting the solid versatile player everyone seems to think we are I don’t see how this is anything but a good move.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
by papabear on Dec 29, 2011 12:10 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Exactly
this was my thought is that we picked him up considering we’ve got the league, Open Cup and CCL to play for this season…Seattle was able to compete in all 3 last season because they had quality and depth, and we seem to be taking a page from that playbook. There’s nothing I’ve read or seen thus far that would suggest that he’s not a solid player
Good deal
thanks to @side and @Duncan for their inputs, I had read up on him (along with all the other potential candidates) on some of the other SB Nation sites (your respective sites included) and got that general impression that he has quality but he’s not a diamond-in-the-rough: just a solid, quality player. As someone else mentioned, he’s right up Dom’s alley of not being amazing but not stinking up the place, just someone you can plug in and he can go to work. Dom loves his flexibility and solid utility guys, so I can see Sturgis being a sub pretty much anywhere on the field except FW. If the line-up pretty much stays the way it is I still don’t know what’s going on with RM considering we’d have Clark, Cruz, Watson and Dixon all at that slot.
Cruz is gone
The Dynamo just want to get something FOR him
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
Surely
we’d want Cruz at least for most if not all this upcoming season and then see where the cards fall after? Salary and consistency aside he is a good and promising RM, a position that right now for us is truly up in the air…if we start the season with Clark, Watson and Dixon then I’m jittery. I love Dixon but he needs more minutes to develop, Clark may or may not be our own version of Weekend at Bernie’s and Watson, well, I think enough keys have been pushed regarding him.
We didnt pick up Cruz's (expensive) option
My guess is that they will try to re-sign him for a lower salary, but if they can’t I’m sure they have plans in place to go a different direction.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
by papabear on Dec 29, 2011 12:14 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Right
I’m not disagreeing with you, I just was questioning Fuze’s line of thought that perhaps Cruz is trade bait. Though to be fair, I wouldn’t dismiss that out of hand either, considering I’m sure that is one option would be if they felt either they couldn’t get his salary at a level they’re comfortable with that they would try to get some value for him
Team has acknowledged the trade, but still no press release. Oh well.
--
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
Sturgis was acquired for a conditional 2014 SuperDraft pick
In other words, on the cheap. Good bit of business really.
--
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
So I stay offline yesterday...
and what do I find, but the Dynamo acquired a sturgeon? WHAT?!?!?
Ohhhh, a Sturgis. What kind of a test line do you need to get one of them?
"We don't care who finishes second." -- Celtic's Peter Lowrie
1-866-BIG-BASS is a great phone number
--
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
by Zach Woosley on Dec 29, 2011 2:20 PM CST up reply actions
Or maybe we meant this kind of Sturgis
Is that Dom Kinnear in the middle there hunting for talent?
"We don't care who finishes second." -- Celtic's Peter Lowrie
Keep this up and I’m taking away your new editor title… ;)
--
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
by Zach Woosley on Dec 30, 2011 9:38 AM CST up reply actions
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