Kyle McCarthy of FOX Sports reported Friday that Sounders FC will trade winger Marco Pappa to the Colorado Rapids after the Guatemalan international's name was withdrawn from Stage One of the MLS Re-Entry Draft.
The Seattle Times and The Denver Post also confirmed the report.
Sounders FC declined comment on the reports on Friday.
Pappa, 28, scored nine goals over 49 regular-season appearances and added two assists in six postseason games in 2014-15. The Sounders opted not to exercise Pappa’s contract last week. Sounders GM and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey said after that decision that while he admired Pappa’s contributions to the club each of the last two seasons, the financial implications of his contract next season made it impossible to bring him back at his current rate.
“This is a judgement that we weren’t able to afford the option in his contract,” Lagerwey said. “He’s a guy who we have ongoing conversations with, and hopefully we figure something out. If we can’t, we hope he does well wherever he ends up.”
Pappa joined the club via the MLS allocation process ahead of the 2014 season after 15 months with Dutch side SC Heerenveen. He also spent five seasons with the Chicago Fire from 2008-12, where he scored a career-high eight goals in 2011.
Pappa scored six goals and added five assists for the Sounders in 2014, and scored the game-winning goal in the team’s Supporters’ Shield-clinching win over the LA Galaxy in the season finale.
His numbers dropped in 2015, however, when he posted MLS career-lows in games played (20) and goals (3). Pappa was arrested in July for driving under the influence and speeding, and subsequently missed more than a month of action during an assessment by Major League Soccer’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program doctors.
