When the Seattle Sounders traded Homegrown midfielder Handwalla Bwana to Nashville SC on Wednesday, what General Manager and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey received in return was more than just $225K in General Allocation Money and a sell-on clause. They also received future flexibility in roster construction, something Lagerwey & Co. do better than almost anyone in MLS, as well as defender Jimmy Medranda.
The money — and it’s a lot — is the immediate takeaway from the Bwana deal, but the importance of the Medranda signing cannot be underestimated. Yes, Medranda has had some unfortunate injuries the last few seasons, but he’s still a 26-year-old veteran with nearly 100 MLS matches under his belt.