WASHINGTON, DC (December 12, 2023) – D.C. United has announced the acquisition of midfielder Jared Stroud and defender Lucas Bartlett from St. Louis City SC in exchange for homegrown midfielder Chris Durkin and $300,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money.
“We want to thank Chris for his incredible contributions to the club since he was initially signed as a 16-year-old,” said Ally Mackay, General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer of D.C. United. “From talking with others at the club, I know how important Chris was to D.C. United and how much he was loved by our fans and the community.” We wish him the best of luck in his next chapter in St. Louis, and he will always be a member of the Black-and-Red family.”
Stroud joins the Black-and-Red after playing for St. Louis City SC in their inaugural season in 2023. Stroud had five assists and five goals in 31 appearances (25 starts) last season. On February 25, 2023, the 27-year-old made his debut for St. Louis FC in their inaugural match against Austin FC. On March 11, 2023, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-2 win over Austin FC.
“We are excited to bring Jared [Stroud] to the Nation’s Capital,” said Ally Mackay, General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer of D.C. United. “He is coming off a productive season for an expansion team in St. Louis that took the league by storm and played some highly attractive soccer.”
At 27, he is in his prime years as a professional, and we believe D.C. United is an excellent opportunity for him to advance in his career.”
Stroud began his professional career with the New York Red Bulls after being selected 83rd overall (fourth round) in the 2018 Major League Soccer SuperDraft on January 21, 2018. Stroud joined the New York Red Bulls II in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship after being selected.
Stroud was a standout for Red Bulls II in two seasons in the USL Championship, scoring 22 goals and recording 20 assists in 68 appearances. Following his impressive performance in the USL, Stroud was signed to the first team of the New York Red Bulls on January 7, 2020. Stroud made his MLS debut as a 70th-minute substitute on July 11, 2020. Stroud had two assists in 20 appearances (11 starts) in his first season in MLS. On December 20, 2020, Stroud was traded to Austin FC. Stroud had one goal and four assists in 27 appearances (13 starts) for the club over two seasons before being traded to St. Louis City SC on November 7, 2022. Stroud has six goals and six assists in four seasons in MLS.
Lucas Bartlett joins D.C. United after playing for St. Louis City SC last season. Bartlett had one assist in 14 appearances (12 starts) in 2023. He had 25 interceptions and won 48.7% of his duels as a defender.
“Lucas is a highly capable center back who will help bolster our roster heading into 2024,” Mackay said in a statement. “He’s a physically imposing and athletic player with the physicality to be a great center back in this league.” We’re excited to welcome him to D.C. United.”
Bartlett began his professional career with FC Dallas on January 11, 2022, after being selected sixth overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Bartlett spent one season in Texas on loan with North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ MLS Next Pro affiliate. In 2022, he appeared in 13 games for North Texas SC. After FC Dallas declined his contract option, Bartlett signed with St. Louis City SC on March 8, 2023.
On June 14, 2016, D.C. United signed Chris Durkin as the club’s eighth Homegrown player. On June 15, 2016, he made his debut for the Black-and-Red in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Durkin appeared in 36 games for the club between 2016 and 2019, before signing an initial loan with Sint-Truidense V.V. in the Belgian First Division A. This was followed by a permanent transfer on May 7, 2020. Durkin appeared in 70 games for the Belgian club in three seasons, scoring two goals and assisting five times. Durkin then returned to the Black-and-Red on March 24, 2022, and re-signed with them. Durkin had five goals and six assists in six seasons with D.C. United.
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