Seattle Sounders academy graduate center back Sam Rogers is on the move.
It was reported over the weekend that Rogers was headed to join Leganes, a second division side in Spain, and Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey confirmed that the center back was departing, but that he was going on trial. Rogers has been a regular for Sounders USL side Tacoma Defiance since 2017.
"Sam is on trial," Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey told Jackson Felts on Sounders Weekly. "He's going to go over there. He's getting an opportunity. This is something he did last summer as well when he went to Belgium."
Despite 63 appearances with Tacoma, the 21-year-old Rogers has not been one of the academy products to sign a Homegrown contract with the Sounders first team. He went on trial with Belgian side Standard Liege last summer, but ultimately returned to Seattle.
According to Ives Galarcep, Rogers impressed in Belgium but Seattle/Tacoma and Standard Liege were unable to arrive at a deal at the time with Lagerwey then telling Galarcep that Rogers was a valued member of the club's future.
The defender, who has appeared with U.S. youth national teams, was in preseason with Seattle but didn't stay with the first team. The Sounders inked another handful of academy up-and-comers to first-team contracts this year.
"We are going to try to get them opportunities with other first teams," Lagerwey said. "We wish Sam the best and hopefully the trial will go well and then maybe he'll have an opportunity there."
