Fredy Montero re-signs one-year contract with Sounders

Fredy Montero will get a chance to add to his all-time Seattle Sounders scoring record after it was announced on Wednesday that he had signed another one-year extension. This will be Montero’s seventh season with the Sounders overall, and third consecutive season with the since rejoining the team ahead of the 2021 season. He has played for effectively the veteran minimum since his return.

It would be impossible to argue that he’s been anything less than an absolute bargain. Montero had eight goals and two assists across all competitions in 2022, giving him 76 goals and 51 assists in his Sounders career. Even just looking at MLS play, he ranked in the 91st percentile among forwards for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes and was also among the most effective passers as well, according to FBref.com.

“Fredy continues to prove he is a valuable player for our team, both on and off the field,” said General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “On top of being a fan favorite, Fredy is a reliable goal-scorer, as demonstrated in his decorated career around the world. We welcome his skill, experience and veteran leadership in 2023.”

If there’s a knock against Montero, it’s that Brian Schmetzer maybe relied on him a bit too much when he had younger options. Montero logged over 1,500 minutes during the 2022 season, often at the expense of playing someone like Leó Chú, Dylan Teves or Sam Adeniran. One of the Sounders’ top offseason priorities is believed to be a younger forward who would ideally allow that number to go down considerably.