TFC pays high price for Nathan Sturgis

Don't worry Nathan... it's just like an expansion team

There are definitely two sides to the coin in this afternoon's transfer of American midfielder Nathan Sturgis to Toronto FC from Vancouver. While most Reds supporters, including this space, have been crying out for better depth and "MLS quality" players, the price to achieve that - Toronto's First Round Draft Pick in 2011 - will have many scratching their heads. Especially for a player involved in the previous day's Expansion Draft.
　
Sturgis is a reliable, if not injury prone, holding midfielder who is definitely a step up from yesterday's released Martin Saric. The 23 year-old American has had stints with LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and most recently Seattle and is still a young talent despite six seasons in the league. "Interim-ish" GM Earl Cochrane made the argument that Sturgis represented better value than anything TFC could hope to draft in the 8th slot overall but some would disagree.
　
While any draft is a bit of a crap-shoot, the 2011 version is reportedly fairly deep and it does seem to outsiders that Sturgis could have been acquired for less. The truth of that will never be known but if Canadian rival Vancouver ends up turning Toronto's pick into a future gem, the egg will remain on The Reds' face for years to come. Few can argue that Nathan Sturgis is a step in the right direction for Toronto's depth charts but the move does once again raise huge alarms. If Earl Cochrane has the green-light to part with one of the club's biggest building blocks - surely he is the one doing the team building in the long-term. Of course, the other side of that coin is - if his hiring is inevitable, at least work is being done in November… not late March.