Toronto FC made a move Friday to clear salary cap room for the future, but it came at a cost and with an unlikely partner.
Toronto traded 20-year-old Canadian winger/wingback Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty to rival CF Montreal in return for up to US$1.3 million in general allocation money with US$850,000 of that guaranteed ($450,000 this year and $400,000 in 2025). TFC will also get a percentage of any future transfer if Marshall-Rutty moves on from Montreal.
Allocation money can be used to "buy down" a player's salary budget charge.
"The reality is unfortunately we have been pretty quiet in the summer (transfer) window and that's not by choice," said Toronto GM Jason Hernandez. "Really it's just a product of where the (TFC) salary cap is.
"We've been on a hamster wheel for quite some time with limited funds, making very very strategic market opportunity acquisitions. We need to get out of that cycle. And part of that, unfortunately, is gaining money. And with gaining money in this league, you need to sell assets."
"This is now going to give us a real ability in 2025 to improve the team in the way we want to," he added.
Toronto's only other move in the transfer window, which closed at midnight Thursday, was the signing of American free agent defender Henry Wingo.
The possible return for Marshal-Rutty exceeds the US$1 million in allocation money, depending on certain performance metrics, that Montreal sent Chicago in December 2020 for U.S. international midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, now with the Colorado Rapids.
For Montreal, it's the second move to pick up young talent in as many days.
On Thursday the club acquired U.S. youth international midfielder Caden Clark from Minnesota in exchange for up to US$150,000 in 2024 general allocation money and a second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.
Marshall-Rutty, who only turned 20 in June, signed as a homegrown player as a 15-year-old in January 2020 — the youngest player in TFC history to sign for the first team. At the time, then-GM Ali Curtis called Marshall-Rutty "the top player in his age group across Canada and the U.S. and … among the top young players in all of North America."
While Marshall-Rutty has impressed at times — setting up the winning goal Sunday against Mexico's Pachuca in Leagues Cup play — he has struggled to get regular playing time.
Hernandez noted that Marshall-Rutty's contract expires after the 2025 season.
"Come the off-season he would be six months way from leaving on a free (transfer)," he said.
In announcing the trade Friday, Montreal said Marshall-Rutty has signed a contract extension through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028. Marshall-Rutty is making US$181,815 this season, according to the MLS Players Association.
In his fifth season with Toronto, Marshall-Rutty made a combined 83 appearances across all competitions. He has appeared in 22 of Toronto's 30 league outings this season, starting 10, with one goal and three assists.
"After nine incredible years, the time has come for me to say goodbye to Toronto FC. From my humble beginnings as a kid in Brampton dreaming on the sidelines to stepping onto the field with the first team, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing," Marshall Rutty said in a social media post. "Toronto FC has been more than just a club to me; it’s been a home, a family, and a crucible where I’ve grown both as a player and as a person."
He was 11 when he joined Toronto's academy in December 2015 and 14 when he signed with TFC II in December 2018, becoming the youngest player in club history to sign with the club.
Hernandez said there was some "surface-level interest" in Marshall-Rutty from inside and outside MLS but nothing firm until Montreal came in with "a late offer that we had to discuss."
With former TFC executive Corey Wray now working for Montreal as a sports strategy consultant, Marshall-Rutty was a known quantity.
Toronto took the offer to Marshall-Rutty and his camp. And with Toronto not short on players able to line up at wingback with Federico Bernardeschi, Richie Laryea, Derrick Etienne Jr., Tyrese Spicer and Wingo among others, he was open to the move.
Marshall-Rutty represented Canada at the 2019 CONCACAF Boys' U-15 Championship and, while yet to win a senior cap, was the youngest-ever call-up by the senior team when the 16-year-old was brought into camp in January 2021 by John Herdman.
Toronto and Montreal have made trades with each other before.
In January, Toronto acquired an international roster slot for this season from Montreal in exchange for US$175,000 in general allocation money. That move came the same week that TFC signed Irish defender Kevin Long.
In January 2015, Toronto sent forward Dominic Oduro to Montreal for allocation money. And in May 2014, TFC acquired midfielder Collen Warner and allocation money from Montreal in exchange for Canadian international forward Issey Nakajima-Farran.
Marshall-Rutty joins former TFC defender Raheem Edwards on the Montreal roster.
Toronto (9-14-3) currently sits eighth in the Eastern Conference on the cusp of the playoff picture. Montreal (6-10-9) is 10th, three points behind with a game in hand.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2024
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
