January 18 at 9:01 PM
Donovan Pines, the defensive anchor of Maryland’s NCAA championship campaign this past season, has reached an agreement in principle with D.C. United on a homegrown contract, multiple people familiar with the negotiations said Friday night.
Pines, 20, left school with a year of eligibility remaining to engage in negotiations with United while also leaving open the possibility of signing overseas. Talks accelerated this week, culminating with a pact that is likely to become official in a few days.
The 6-foot-5 center back, from Clarksville, Md., and River Hill High School, is a graduate of United’s youth academy, a status that tied him to the MLS organization and exempted him from last Friday’s draft in Chicago.