Recent news shows a flurry of trade and transfer activity seldom seen from the Union’s front office. Here is what our PSP writers are thinking about it all:

Kyle Grantham: I am very curious about these big moves and Tanner not around, but my feeling is they’re executing the gameplan they already had worked out this summer. The Alladoh deal was reported months ago as in the works. The Glesnes move is the one that has me scratching my head a bit though — they JUST extended him in August through 2027 with an option for 2028. They already carried a 2026 option in his previous contract, so they didn’t need to extend him if they planned to part ways, and all they’re getting is GAM… it’s a odd move. Baribo at least fits their pattern of selling a striker as a new one comes in, one move pays for the other, even if it’s not going to improve the team’s chances of winning a cup.

Ryan Eichem: Alladoh and Baribo is a like for like swap positionally obviously, and it certainly isn’t a new idea for them to do. I like it for the money and the fact that Alladoh is younger and seems like a stud. Don’t love the idea of moving Baribo to a conference rival-ish especially after such a good season. Glesnes is a little confusing, but with Makanhya making a step up this year and Neil Pierre getting ready to come up, maybe they’re looking at youth like usual. It’s hard to get guys with legit MLS experience, especially former players of the year, though, so I don’t love it. Best case for me now is that they go and sign someone who can split minutes with Pierre and mentor him a bit as he gets used to the level. As we saw this year, the moves might not make sense but they can still work. I was very confused about Gazdag and McGlynn and was out on the team this year, then they won the shield. You can talk about the team on paper all you want, but the in pitch is what matters.

Kyle Grantham: That’s interesting because I thought the Gazdag and McGlynn moves were long overdue. Something switched off in Gazdag after his knee injury midway through 2023 and he just stopped playing with the same level of aggressiveness in the attack. I had no problem moving him. McGlynn lacked any defensive instincts whatsoever and just wasn’t a fit for the Union’s play style under either coach. The left foot is special but I’d have rather seen him as an attacking midfielder if he’d stayed than a player with any responsibility to get back on a counter, and he didn’t have the pace for that. Makhanya had a LOT of growing pains, especially early in the season. I would expect the same from Pierre. And with Champions League now in the schedule, they’re going to need way more depth than they had last year.

Dan Getelman: Seeing the amounts makes both moves make sense to me — they probably think for $1m+ in GAM they can replace Glesnes’s production and have money left over, which definitely seems at least possible. Maybe it helps make budget math work out for a free agent like Walker Zimmerman? I also assume this is matched with the rumored new guys. I also assume the Baribo move means they’re bringing Uhre back, which I’m not mad about. Otherwise, they’re putting a lot of faith in the new, young guys coming in and fitting right away. It could work like Lukic, but could also not work whether for player issues like Oravec or Makhanya initially or injuries like Glavinovich. One last thought: this leaves Kai Wagner in my mind as the last of the core group of starters of the last few years that were Tanner imports (leaving aside Blake and Bedoya who predate him, and HGs). He’s the one the team is least equipped to replace if he’s sold (or even injured), but given the other departures, his age, and the constantly swirling rumors, I wonder if he ends up moving on also. Or alternatively, if we see someone come in to be his heir. I’m assuming Jordan Griffin isn’t quite ready yet, since he just started getting U2 minutes, but perhaps that changes.

Chris Turk: Is Pierre really ready? Maybe, but I have serious doubts. I think they must have a veteran CB that they plan to bring in, using some of the Glesnes GAM. Re: Uhre – will he stay with Baribo on the way out? They still have Damiani, Alladoh, and Iloski. Is Uhre needed? Maybe if they get him at a greatly reduced salary.

Tim Jones: PSP’s Alex Hayden has just seen a social media offering that suggests Neil Pierre may be loaned to a European club this winter with an option to buy. Time frame, duration, all unknown. Only name publicly known is Borussia Monchengladbach. Were it to be true, The Union center back situation would become even more interesting.

Peter Andrews: Both moves are surprising on their face but are essentially expressions of Union Moneyball. Baribo turned out to be a very shrewd signing (once Curtin let him play), and now he was going to demand a big pay rise. His transfer fee is, I think, nearly a 3x multiplier on what they paid for him, and it allows them to bring in a prospect who is seven years younger (and could turn in an even bigger profit if he hits). It’s tough to think of a better signing than Glesnes, bought for $700k and was one of the best defenders in MLS for five of the past six seasons. He’s now over 30 and they’ll turn a profit on him, amazingly. He’s one of my favorite players in team history — a very decent guy to chat with, too — and it’s tough to see a fan favorite move on, but it’s tough to turn down that fee. I would be surprised if Glesnes is replaced by a Zimmerman-type veteran. More likely, they take a shot or two at another Ian Glavinovich-type signing. Defensive depth is the biggest issue on the team right now, though.

Kyle Grantham: It’s worth noting that Zimmerman has already agreed to a contract with Toronto FC for below DP salary. Whether that’s being bought down with GAM, no idea, but he’s gone. I wouldn’t expect them to bring Uhre back, he’s been linked with a return to the Danish Superleague and the fact that they continually chose Damiani over him despite Uhre’s greater success rate would signal he was out of favor.

Chris Turk: To reiterate what I said above, I don’t think Pierre is ready to be a first string starter. At least not yet. Glesnes and Makhanya were able to play off of each other, covering for each other’s weaknesses. I wasn’t suggesting Zimmerman per se, but someone that has some experience needs to be paired with Makhanya.

Blake Zuschnitt: I think getting rid of the rights to Jamir Johnson might be my least favorite move of all the moves they made, by far. Selling Tai Baribo, as Peter stated, is in line with the money ball ideology the Union have purported. Baribo just isn’t a fit with Damiani up top, and the team seem committed to getting Damiani minutes. Alladoh seems to be a signing that will play off of Damiani in a way similar to how Uhre does, as he seems fast and willing to take the top off the defense with runs in behind. Selling Glesnes, while he was generally very good last year and they just extended him, it makes sense to move on from him for the return, and he’s not the same player he was pre-injury. So maybe they will take a swing at another young center back in the winter transfer window.

But getting back to the Jamir Johnson move: I strongly dislike this. He’s been pretty highly touted for the last few years, and has played well in big spots, including the MLS Next all star game last season, and multiple runs at the GA cup. Perhaps his development has plateaued? I will say, every time I’ve watched him, I’ve been very impressed by his game. He plays more of a winger role though, and that may be the rationale for offloading him prior to getting a shot with the first team here. I don’t agree with moving on from a very promising young talent just because he doesn’t play a position currently utilized at the first team level. It’s a bit of a head scratcher for me.