Revolution Trade Castillion, Imbongo to Colorado Rapids, Acquire Keeper Joe Nasco

The New England Revolution announced today that the club has acquired goalkeeper Joe Nasco and a third round pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for forwards Geoffrey Castillion and Dimitry Imbongo and a second round pick in next month's SuperDraft.

Originally signed by the Rapids in February, Nasco made four starts for the Rapids in his first season with the club, compiling an 0-2-1 record with a 2.32 goals against average. The 30-year-old native of Kissimmee, Florida made his MLS debut on August 30, making five saves in a 1-0 loss to Seattle.

Nasco began his professional career in 2008 with the PDL's Panama City Pirates before briefly retiring from the game because of an injury. He returned in 2012, earning a contract with the NASL's Atlanta Silverbacks, helping the club claim a berth in Soccer Bowl 2013 while being named to the NASL Best XI.

In exchange for Nasco, the Revs sent a pair of international forwards to Colorado with Geoffrey Castillion and Dimitry Imbongo going to the Rapids. Imbongo joined the Revs in July 2012 and registered four goals and four assists in 32 regular season games for the club while also adding a goal in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs. The 24-year-old scored three goals and added four assists in 2013 while also equaling an MLS record by receiving a league-high three red cards in 2013. He was limited to just two appearances, both as a substitute, in 2014.

Castillion signed with the Revs on August 25 and made one appearance for the club, debuting as a second half substitute against Sporting Kansas City on September 3. A native of Amsterdam, the 24-year-old Dutch forward spent the entirety of his professional career in the Netherlands before coming to MLS, making one substitute appearance vs. the Montreal Impact on Sept. 13. In addition to the three players, the Revs and Rapids also swapped picks in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft with New England acquiring Colorado's natural third round pick in exchange for New England's natural second round selection.

This is a move that screams the Revolution are trying to avoid protecting three international players in the expansion draft later this week. While Imbongo's time in New England was probably up, Castillion was a rather prized signing on a rather large non-DP salary for the Revs despite hardly seeing the field in 2014 and many projected to compete for a starting spot next year.

With only three remaining internationals on the roster, Jose Goncalves, Daigo Kobayashi and the on-loan Jerry Bengston, the Revs only need to protect two of the three, leaving room for another domestic player to be protected with rumors of A.J. Soares being out of contract and potentially leaving for Europe.

Odds are, that Nasco will end up being flipped for other assets in a similar way to how the Revs sold former Rapids keeper Matt Pickens to the NASL's Tampa Bay Rowdies earlier this year but it's very clear that the MLS offseason is in full swing for New England.