Reed Baker-Whiting has been moved to Nashville SC in a cash-for-player trade, multiple sources have confirmed. Sounder at Heart’s Niko Moreno was the first to report the move with The Atheltic’s Tom Bogert adding that the Sounders will receive $800,000 in cash and some other add-ons. The Sounders will also retain a 20% sell-on percentage if Baker-Whiting is moved within MLS or abroad, Sounder at Heart confirmed.
Per sources: Nashville SC is closing on a deal that would send Reed Baker-Whiting to Nashville SC. With depth at Winger/Wingback it makes sense for #Sounders to make this move. I'm sure new Nashville assistant Chris Little was probably a factor in the club's interest in Reed.
— Niko Moreno (@elrolonw.bsky.social) 2026-02-15T21:54:35.371Z
The Sounders will also be able to convert that cash into GAM as they had not already maxed out the annual $3 million limit. Although the Sounders have transferred Danny Leyva (about $650,000) and Obed Vargas ($2.5 million), about $1 million of Vargas' fee won't be paid this year.
While this isn't quite the valuation that many long believed Baker-Whiting could reach, it does give the Sounders some significant flexibility.
Baker-Whiting had signed as a U22-Initiative player last year, meaning he occupied a senior roster spot and hit the cap at $200,000. By moving him, the Sounders pick up a senior roster spot and free up about $1 million in cap space.
Now heading into his sixth MLS season, there was also some question about Baker-Whiting's playing time. Although the 20-year-old has shown significant improvement as a left back, he was still apparently behind Nouhou on the depth chart. In Nashville, Baker-Whiting will be reunited with former Tacoma Defiance and Sounders Academy coach Chris Little and seeminly slots in as a successor to 34-year-old Daniel Lovitz.
Baker-Whiting does offer Nashville some significant upside. Since debuting with the Sounders as a 16-year-old, Baker-Whiting has at times shown promising two-way ability. But he's also struggled to remain healthy and as a result has never exceeded 1,100 first-team minutes in a season.
