As first reported by Tom Bogert a couple weeks back, the Boys in Gold have added another ex-Red Bull. From the club release, the details:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 11, 2023) – Nashville Soccer Club announced today it has acquired 23-year-old midfielder Dru Yearwood in exchange for $75,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money (GAM), and up to an additional $75,000 in conditional 2025 GAM.
Yearwood joins former Red Bulls midfielders Sean Davis and Alex Muyl who in the last two seasons with Nashville appeared in 69 and 63 matches, respectively, combining for nearly 20% of the team’s pressures in the opposing half.
“Dru gives up needed industry and athleticism as a progressive box-to-box midfielder, and should fit in almost seamlessly with our group,” Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs said.
Yearwood joined the Red Bulls as a young designated player on Aug. 12, 2020, and with 90 all-time MLS appearances (86 Regular Season, 4 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs), the midfielder was instrumental in taking the Red Bulls to the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of those four seasons, including a 2023 Decision Day clinch in a 94th minute penalty win over Nashville SC. Over the last four seasons with RBNY, the 23-year-old midfielder led the team with the highest percentage of passes bypassing defenders.
Yearwood also logged in six appearances in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition, as he led the Red Bulls to the 2022 USOC Semifinals and the 2023 Round of 16.
A product of Arsenal F.C.’s youth system, the 23-year-old from Harlow, England, joined the NYRB from EFL Championship side Brentford F.C. after spending two seasons with Southend’s senior team in League One. After originally joining the Red Bulls as an international player, Yearwood became a U.S. permanent resident earlier this season. He will occupy a U-22 Initiative roster spot with Nashville SC.
Transactions: Nashville SC acquires Dru Yearwood from New York Red Bulls in exchange for $75,000 in 2024 GAM, and up to an additional $75,000 in conditional 2025 GAM
Nashville SC release
Yearwood was on a team option – that NYRB exercised in order to trade him – at the end of the season, which means his contract is only guaranteed for one year, unless NSC restructures it. He made just under $600k last year, though option years can end up with some funky math to make the salary budget (which includes only guaranteed years) work out, so it’s possible the option year includes a much greater or lesser salary. Given that he’s in a U-22 initiative slot, his budget hit is $200k either way.
To contextualize the trade amount… the guaranteed amount is precisely what Nashville SC sold Jan Gregus to Minnesota United for (and that was a guy who only had a guaranteed contract through the end of last season). Colorado Rapids sold second-year pro Anthony Markanich to St. Louis City for the same amount – plus a SuperDraft pick – and that’s a guy playing a position (FB) that’s considered less valuable. They ended up playing about the same number of minutes last year, with most of Markanich’s time (about two-thirds) coming after the trade. That’s all to say: Colorado got more for a player they were actively not using, so in terms of strictly trade value, it’s a steal.
As for the player, Yearwood is a 23-year old (he’ll turn 24 before the start of next MLS season) who began his professional career at 17 with Southend United in his native England. He had a cup of coffee in the Championship with Brentford before moving Stateside. With just under a thousand minutes this year, he had his lowest with NYRB since his first (when he didn’t join the squad until August of the Covid-shortened year) – he got about 2k minutes in each of the previous two seasons, and has been a solid interruptor and connector who is not much to write home about in the final third.
A Barbadian-English dual nat, he’s been called for the senior team of the former and Youth teams of the latter, but has not made an appearance for either. He earned his green card in February and does not occupy an international slot.
Club and Country 