With so many roster rules and contract designations to navigate, MLS teams often need to be crafty in order to build a strong, balanced roster. The Columbus Crew have spent the majority of May wheeling and dealing with the best of them. Let’s review.



On May 7th, the Crew dealt Justin Meram to Atlanta United in exchange for $100,000 in general allocation money (GAM). That’s a pretty big deal in itself; Meram made his name in Columbus, appearing over 200 times in two stints at the club and playing his way into international soccer in the process. He’s also 30 years old, and a stacked team like Atlanta was willing to pay 100K for him. Pretty good bit of business, if you ask me.



Next, on May 8th, the Crew acquired David Accam from the Philadelphia Union for $100,000 in targeted allocation money (TAM), $400,000 in GAM, and an international roster spot. It was a hefty price, but Accam had started well this season, had shown he can produce in MLS (albeit on...