Minnesota United marked the end of an era today when it traded longtime captain and defender Francisco Calvo. The Loons sent the Costa Rican international to the Chicago Fire for $100,000 in general allocation money (GAM) and $50,000 in targeted allocation money (TAM) in 2019, plus $100,000 in GAM and $150,000 in TAM in 2020. Minnesota could receive an additional $125,000 in TAM if Calvo meets certain performance metrics with the Fire, along with the Loons retaining considerations on a potential future transfer of the player outside of MLS.



(Here’s our primer to refresh yourself on the differences between TAM and GAM.)



Here’s what the trade means for Minnesota United, the Chicago Fire, and the market at large.



For Minnesota United



This is the third straight year Minnesota has made a trade in the final week of the winter window, following their 2017 trade for Sam Cronin and Marc Burch as well as the 2018 swap of Sam Nicholson for Eric...