Sounders Transfer Reed Baker-Whiting to Nashville for $800,000
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Seattle Sounders defender Reed Baker-Whiting makes a play for the ball against Austin FC on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. (Maddy Grassy / Sounders FC Communications) [/caption]
The Seattle Sounders handled business in Renton against USL side Louisville City FC on Sunday. But while Osaze De Rosario put up his second straight preseason friendly brace, general manager Craig Waibel and company moved on from another young player in the program.
Niko Moreno of Sounder at Heart first reported the transfer of 20-year-old defender Reed Baker-Whiting to fellow MLS side Nashville S.C. for $800,000, later confirmed by multiple reports. The move puts an end to speculation of where the uber-talented player would find minutes, as he notched just 544 in 2025, primarily in the backline.
He heads to a contending Nashville team needing more creators and will likely get a chance to play a more attacking role as the former Defiance prospect, who once drew European attention, gets a fresh start.
Why Now?
Baker-Whiting was simply too talented to notch just six starts for an MLS side. RBW moved all over the field for skipper Brian Schmetzer, who has always been fond of him, never finding a real foothold or a position to develop in.
He ended up slotting into the wings of Seattle's strong backline, but faced stiff competition like Alex Roldan, Nouhou, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and others at arguably the Sounders’ most loaded position group. With Schmetzer leaning toward an all-league dualist in Nouhou primarily on the left side, Baker-Whiting fell into a reserve role.
He's still very young and coming off a U-20 World Cup appearance for the United States, so the value of moving him now rather than wasting more precious developmental years on the bench was about as high as it was going to be.
All that is to say, Baker-Whiting could end up being the one that got away. His sense for the game, like many young Sounders, is light-years beyond where it should be. His versatility and on-ball quality next to a superstar like Sam Surridge could vault RBW into stardom akin to that of Obed Vargas, if things fall the right way.
What's in it for Seattle?
The Sounders are now up to nearly $5 million in transfer fees pulled in between this move, Vargas' transfer to Atletico and Danny Leyva's unexpected seven-digit transfer to Liga MX side Nexaca. The Baker-Whiting move will also free up a U-22 slot for Waibel's team, reopening the talks of signing a U-22 striker this year as Seattle tries to build on a Leagues Cup-winning season.
Still, Baker-Whiting was expected to stick around, considering he had just inked an extension in the fall that was set to run through 2028 with an option in 2029.
At the end of the day, $800,000 and a U-22 spot for a player who was just not getting the time he deserved isn't the worst outcome for Waibel. The best outcome, however, would have been being the team to help Baker-Whiting reach the potential European sides saw in him as a young player and pulling in a multi-million dollar transfer.
Oh well.
Preseason De Rosario Rolls in Renton
We're less than a week from the first match of the season at Lumen Field against Colorado on Sunday, and the Sounders are looking solid.
Though star midfielder Cristian Roldan has been limited with Achilles pain and missed the friendlies against Louisville, the Sounders looked sharp. In particular, Osaze De Rosario scored a second straight brace after beating Swedish side Hammarby in Spain a week ago. De Rosario scored a longer shot on the run for his first goal before chipping in a rebound for his second.
To add to his brace, DeRo drew a penalty that Albert Rusnák converted to open the scoring. As the youngest of the three strikers vying for a starting spot in Seattle, Schmetzer likes the eagerness De Rosario is showing.
"I told you guys he was hungry," said Schmetzer to the press after the 3-1 win regarding De Rosario. "He's making the most of his opportunity … his growth has been pretty dramatic."
One of those three strikers might be out of the equation, for the time being. All-time leading scorer Jordan Morris once again started on the left wing, his preferred side. With Seattle missing star winger Pedro de la Vega until late April with injury and De Rosario emerging at the nine, Schmetzer may have no choice but to use Morris out there.
"Jordan has proven again that he's a team guy and that he's going to play wherever he can to help the team win," Schmetzer said.
Utilizing a squad of mostly reserves in the second game, the Sounders wiped out Louisville 5-0 as loaned midfielder Nikola Petković found the net for the first time.
