Editorial (December 17, 2017) – As ESPN FC first reported earlier this week, the LA Galaxy are reportedly close to making a deal with San Jose Earthquakes for goalkeeper David Bingham. The deal is supposedly in exchange for between $200,000 and $250,000 in General and Targeted Allocation Monday, combined.
Thoughts on the LA Galaxy David Bingham Trade Rumor
The LA Galaxy cut all three goalkeepers from the 2017 roster this off-season. All three struggled at times and at best each one were going to be the backup on the team in 2018. Since then, the MLS rights to Brian Rowe and Jon Kempin have been traded for scrap MLS SuperDraft picks. Clement Diop was picked by Montreal Impact in the Waiver Draft.
With that, the Galaxy are in need of three new goalkeepers by the start of next season. Enter this David Bingham rumor. Bingham played college soccer at UC Berkeley and then turned professional with the San Jose Earthquakes, the Galaxy’s California Clasico rival.
He has played seven seasons with the Quakes, being the primary starter for the last three seasons. He was a big part of San Jose’s defense and was a Goalkeeper of the Year nominee. He had a falling out late this season as the coaching staff and organization started to favor second year keeper Andrew Tarbell. They also recently signed a Homegrown goalkeeper.
Bingham is still a viable keeper at the MLS level. A few teams could be looking for a new goalkeeper and the LA Galaxy are certainly one of them. The 28-year-old is entering his prime as a goalkeeper. He made just under $200,000 this year, so he’s not an overpriced starting goalkeeper. He could be a good option for Head Coach Sigi Schmid. Plus, he’ll have some knowledge of their in-state rivals when it comes time to prep for the first Cali Clasico match.
Based on previous trades made with GAM and TAM in MLS, $200,000-250,000 is a reasonable price for Bingham. The league just added more TAM for the 2018 season and the Galaxy are sitting on a bunch of money from the D.C. United-Paul Arriola transfer. The Galaxy will have more money to spend. If those numbers are right, this is a good move.
It does seem a bit weird though, the Galaxy and Quakes making a trade (and not a trivial one at that). That first match of the season will be a bit strange for everyone: Galaxy fans rooting for a former Quake, Quakes fans rooting for their team to score on a former keeper, and Bingham being right in the middle of it.
