Nathan Sturgis is once again on the move. The 24-year-old midfielder will join his fifth team since being the No. 12 overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, as he was traded to the Houston Dynamo from Toronto FC in exchange for a conditional draft pick on Wednesday.
The move ends a rather disappointing stint in Toronto, who originally traded the No. 8 overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft in order to earn his services. The Vancouver Whitecaps had previously acquired Sturgis' rights when they picked him off the Seattle Sounders in the 2011 Expansion Draft.
Sturgis will clearly be hoping to repeat the success he enjoyed with the Sounders when he made 20 appearances and 16 starts during the 2010 season. Sturgis played the bulk of his minutes that year while the Sounders were going on a torrid late-season run and seemed to finally be reaching the potential many saw in him when he debuted with the United States U-20 team as a 17-year-old. Sturgis would eventually make 27 appearances with the U-20 team and putting together a standout college career at Clemson.
But after making 15 appearances as a rookie, he fell to just 9 appearances in 2007. Sturgis was eventually traded to Real Salt Lake, where he played sparingly, before being picked by the Sounders in the 2008 Expansion Draft.
At his best, Sturgis has been a solid MLS midfielder. He's definitely never showed the dynamism he showcased as a youngster, but at 24 there's no reason he can't be a serviceable role player on a team with championship aspirations.
For more analysis of the trade, be sure to check out TFC blog Waking the Red and Dynamo Theory.
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