Big moves this morning out of RFK Stadium, as D.C. United is said to have traded away forward Fabian Espindola -- who was once integral to the team's attack but has found himself shifted to the wing following a formation change -- and brought in former University of Maryland striker Patrick Mullins.
Ives Galarcep broke the news that D.C. United would be sending Fabian Espindola, the team's sole Designated Player, to the Vancouver Whitecaps, though it remained to be seen what was coming back in return. Steven Goff went on to say the team would be receiving allocation money in return.
Goff also tweeted that the Black-and-Red was acquiring forward Patrick Mullins from New York City FC for allocation money and an international roster spot. The 24-year-old, 6-foot-1 Mullins has played sparingly for NYCFC this year in 7 games, starting only twice). Last season, the New Orleans native scored 6 goals in 24 games (11 starts) for the Pigeons, after being claimed in the expansion draft in from the New England Revolution, where he scored 4 goals in a 21-game, 14-start rookie campaign.
The 31-year-old Espindola scored the game-tying goal last week against Columbus Crew SC, his fourth on the year in 15 games (10 starts). Espindola scored 5 and had 7 assists in 2015 in 17 games (shortened by injury and suspension), following a 2014 campaign where he scored 11 goals and had 9 assists, and had his contract renegotiated as a Designated Player for D.C., the club's first since Dwayne DeRosario. Espindola joins Matías Laba and Pedro Morales as Designated Players in Vancouver.
More on these transactions as we find out, but in quick summation: D.C. trades their DP for allocation money, and gives up allocation money and an international roster slot for a young forward.