Real Salt Lake traded away one of their longtime stalwarts on Monday, sending veteran center back Nat Borchers to Western Conference foe the Portland Timbers in exchange for allocation money.
The 33-year-old Borchers spent the past seven seasons at RSL, helping lead the team to the 2009 MLS Cup title and earning a spot on the 2010 MLS Best XI. His 245 appearances across all competitions rank third in Claret-and-Cobalt history, trailing only Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando.
According to a report, Borchers would’ve preferred to stay on the Wasatch Front, but the club wasn’t willing to protect him in the expansion draft, instead choosing to get a return on the sturdy defender by sending him to Providence Park.
Monday’s move reunites Borchers with former RSL teammate and Portland captain Will Johnson, who went through a similar process two years ago when he was traded to the Timbers from Salt Lake. Borchers told The Salt Lake Tribune on Monday that Johnson’s experience in Portland played a role in his decision to pick the Timbers over the two unnamed clubs in the running for the veteran defender.
"I spoke to Will on the phone before about making this decision,” Borchers said. “He’s been treated very well by that club. He’s performed very well, obviously. He’s made that transition from being a good player at RSL to being at another club. His experience was very important for me to understand. Obviously I made a very good decision because Portland’s a great club to play for."
Borchers will look to bolster a Timbers backline that, after allowing the second-fewest goals in the league in 2013, conceded 52 times in 2014, the sixth-worst total in MLS.
