Free agent Spencer Richey joins Chicago Fire

Spencer Richey’s homecoming turned out to be relatively short-lived but it was still reasonably productive. The Chicago Fire announced on Monday that they had signed the Seattle native, where he’ll likely be allowed to compete for the starting job and/or serve as a mentor for 17-year-old standout Gabriel Slonina.

Richey had joined the Seattle Sounders last offseason and managed to post shutouts in his only two first-team appearances while mostly serving as the team’s No. 3 goalkeeper. Richey also made five starts for the Tacoma Defiance in the USL Championship, going 1-4-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average. The Sounders declined his option earlier this offseason, making him a free agent.

With Stefan Cleveland also a free agent and Trey Muse seemingly out of the picture, Seattle’s goalkeeping depth could undergo some serious change this offseason. As it currently stands, Stefan Frei and Andrew Thomas are the only two goalkeepers currently under contract within the organization. Thomas was very good in his seven starts with the Defiance — allowing just four goals and posting three shutouts — but suffered a back injury that forced him to miss the last three months of the season. The Sounders are also considering the possibility of bringing back Defiance goalkeeper Christian Herrera, but he’s currently unsigned. Herrera went 6-8-4 with a 1.33 GAA.