Philadelphia Union trade all of their SuperDraft picks for the next three years to the Colorado Rapids for a smooth $350K GAM

Philadelphia Union – The Colorado Rapids pulled off an unconventional move in the MLS, trading $350,000 in General Allocation Money (plus performance-based incentives) to the Union for all their SuperDraft picks for the next three years.

Eight picks, including three in the first round, gone.

Philadelphia Union trade all of their SuperDraft picks for the next three years to the Colorado Rapids for a smooth $350K GAM

Sources: The Colorado Rapids have acquired *all* of the Philadelphia Union's SuperDraft picks for the next three seasons in exchange $350k GAM (+ performance based add ons).

Eight picks over three years, including three first round picks. pic.twitter.com/5ypH1Bbqm1

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) December 9, 2024

For the Philadelphia Union, this is basically par for the course. They have spent years treating the SuperDraft like a relic of MLS 1.0, leaning heavily on their academy to develop talent instead of banking on college players to fill out the roster.

And hey, it’s hard to argue with the results—the Philadelphia Union have consistently been one of the league’s most competitive teams over the last five years, with the exception of last year, I guess.

The SuperDraft used to be a cornerstone of roster building in MLS.

Andre Blake, Philly’s undisputed legend between the posts, came out of the draft as the #1 overall pick in 2014. Blake will be in the Union’s Ring of Honor one day, no question.

Then there’s Jack Elliott, a fourth-rounder turned defensive rock, and Ray Gaddis, another late-round pick who gave the Union close to a decade of reliability and logged serious minutes on the 2020 Supporters’ Shield team.

Philly doesn’t seem interested in finding the next Blake or Elliott. Their academy is stacked, producing guys like Brenden and Paxten Aaronson, who’ve gone on to bigger stages.

Why spend time and resources hunting for a diamond in the rough when you’re already mining gold in-house?

It’s not just the Philadelphia Union, either. MLS as a whole has started to deprioritize the draft. With academies producing younger talent and the league’s increasing reliance on the global transfer market, the draft feels like an afterthought.

That doesn’t mean college soccer is dead, though. Far from it.

Tajon Buchanan (now at Inter Milan), Alistair Johnston (Celtic), and Moise Bombito (Nice) all entered MLS via the SuperDraft between 2019 and 2023.

Throw in guys like DeJuan Jones, Patrick Schulte, and Roman Celentano—solid everyday MLS contributors—and it’s clear there’s still real talent coming through the college ranks. The issue? These players are older, and some teams just don’t see the point in investing in a mid-20s rookie when they’ve got an 18-year-old academy prospect waiting in the wings.

That’s what makes Colorado’s move so fascinating.

While other teams are zigging, the Rapids are zagging, doubling down on the draft as a viable pathway to roster-building. They’re betting that by hoarding picks, they’ll uncover the kind of gems other teams aren’t willing to look for anymore. It’s a bold move—and one that could either pay off in a big way or blow up spectacularly.

The Philadelphia Union, meanwhile, continue to operate like a well-oiled machine. Their academy-first philosophy isn’t just lip service; it’s a strategy they’ve leaned into hard.

Trading away draft picks is just another way of saying, “We know where our bread is buttered, and it’s not at the NCAA.”

Here’s the thing, though: you can’t find a Jack Elliott or a Ray Gaddis if you don’t bother looking. Sure, the draft might not be the primary talent pipeline anymore, but writing it off completely feels a bit shortsighted. You’re not just giving up on lottery tickets—you’re handing them to someone else who might cash in.

For Colorado, this trade is a statement: they’re not afraid to take risks.

For Philly, it’s business as usual.

The real question is, when June rolls around and the draft clock starts ticking, will the Rapids’ big gamble look like genius—or just another footnote in the ever-evolving story of MLS roster building?

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