Houston Dynamo: Analysing sensible Chris Duvall trade

The Houston Dynamo signed Chris Duvall from the Montreal Impact this offseason. The move has copped some criticism, but here is why it could be a sensible addition.

The Houston Dynamo acquired defender Chris Duvall from the Montreal Impact in exchange for the club’s natural third-round pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.

The acquisition of the veteran defender was criticized by many Houston Dynamo fans when the news first broke. However, as time passed, fans came to their senses.

Duvall has made 101 career appearances in Major League Soccer and started 91 for the Montreal Impact and the New York Red Bulls. He also made two postseason appearances and five CONCACAF Champions League appearances during his time in New York.

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This is what Houston Dynamo Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan, who played four seasons for the Impact before becoming their Technical Director, had to say about Duvall’s acquisition:

"“The addition of Chris will strengthen our defensive group as we prepare for the upcoming season. He joins our club at a prime age and brings extensive league, playoff and Champions League experience, which will be important for our group moving forward.”"

Besides his wealth of experience, Duvall, a Duluth, Georgia native, also brings incredible versatility to the table. Primarily a right-back, Jordan told Houston radio host Glenn Davis that Duvall would provide cover at center-back. Furthermore, the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon also has experience of playing at left-back.

The Dynamo picked up A.J. DeLaGarza’s contract option following the conclusion of the 2018 season, and Duvall will compete with DeLaGarza for a starting berth. Even if Duvall is unable to win the starting job, depth at the right-back position will undoubtedly put the minds of Dynamo fans at ease.

Houston’s right-hand side was frequently targeted in the absence of the injured DeLaGarza last season. Adolfo Machado and Kevin Garcia both failed miserably in their auditions, and it was only when the now-retired Andrew Wenger deputized did the problem begin to improve.

Considering the number of competitions that the Dynamo are competing in this season, it should come as no surprise that they acquired someone of Duvall’s experience, versatility, and pedigree. This deal makes even more sense for Houston when you consider that Montreal will cover a portion of Duvall’s 2019 player salary (Duvall’s base salary, as of September 15th, 2018 was $150,000.00) and the fact that the Dynamo only gave up a third-round pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft to facilitate the move.

While the Dynamo have had some success with late-round picks in the MLS SuperDraft — Geoff Cameron was drafted in the third-round (42nd overall) in 2008 and both Corey Ashe and Warren Creavalle were second-round picks — the MLS SuperDraft is becoming less and less relevant.

"“Unlike other sports, MLS has access to an endless global talent pool. Instead of relying on the draft to build your squad, you can splurge in the transfer market or pluck from your own academy.”"

Tutul Rahman of Pro Soccer USA wrote a fantastic piece examining the value of a draft pick, in which he perfectly summarized why the SuperDraft, while still valuable, is becoming more irrelevant. The likelihood of a 2020 third-round pick being as integral as Duvall will be for the Dynamo is incredibly unlikely in contemporary MLS. It is increasingly difficult to turn third-round SuperDraft picks into valuable players that can be signed from anywhere in the world.

In spite of the early criticism, this was a good move by the Houston Dynamo. They addressed one of their biggest issues from last season by acquiring an experienced, industrious, and capable defender, and they paid very little in order to do so.