Philadelphia Union reportedly trading three years’ worth of SuperDraft picks to Colorado

It’s no secret that Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner values allocation money more than the MLS SuperDraft so the report Monday that the Union has traded away the next three years worth of picks to the Colorado Rapids should shock no one.

That it comes in a season when the Union have a natural top 10 pick might be key to the deal going through. The Union are reportedly receiving $350,000 in general allocation money plus up to an additional $250,000 attached to performance incentives. The No. 7 and No. 9 picks in the 2023 SuperDraft both fetched $175,000 in allocation money.

In addition to the No. 8 pick in this draft, the Rapids will receive the No. 68 pick in the 2025 draft and three picks each in the 2026 and 2027 drafts, if in fact the drafts are even still held in their current form. The Rapids already acquired the Union’s second round pick (No. 38) from the Union in exchange for Oliver Semmle’s MLS rights last offseason.

Since Tanner’s arrival and his decision to trade the Union’s five picks in the 2019 draft to FC Cincinnati, the narrative has centered on the Union’s emphasis on its academy and utilizing young players as depth even as many of the team’s stars came via the draft like No. 1 overall pick Andre Blake and others. The team has used just four of its picks and Holden Trent – who passed away in October – was the only one to sign a first team contract. The allocation money Tanner has gotten in return has helped him to make player acquisitions, something that could be a bigger factor in dealing the picks than any concern that players drafted will block playing time for young prospects.

Tanner, after all, has signed a number of players with college soccer experience, including first team forward Chris Donovan, backup goalkeeper Oliver Semmle and second team players Mike Sheridan and Kyle Tucker.