Kosuke Kimura traded to Portland Timbers

Earlier in the day, Merritt Paulson of the Portland Timbers tweeted that the Timbers would be trading for a right back at some point. Turns out, he was talking about Colorado Rapids right back Kosuke Kimura. The Rapids announced earlier that Kimura had been traded for allocation money and an international slot.

From the official press release:

"This is a move that gives us flexibility as we work with our roster and prepare for the rest of the season and beyond," said Rapids Technical Director Paul Bravo. "This was an incredibly difficult decision for us, considering the wonderful service Kosuke has given us both on and off the field since he arrived here in 2007. He is a class act and we wish him success in Portland."

Wow, this one was unexpected but Kimura had been ineffective in Pareja's system this year and they needed more international spots it seems. Going to be interesting to see who is brought in to take that slot, there's going to be a lot of unrest about this among fans I'm sure.