Jermaine Jones is most valuable as trade bait

Jermaine Jones’ time in New England has been short, but he might have already cemented his status as the best signing in New England Revolution history. More than being a stud on the field, the USMNT midfielder has been a marketing success, pushing aside (at least momentarily) negative thoughts about the team’s front office. With his initial one-and-a-half year contract set to expire, Jones might now be most be valuable to the Revs as trade bait.

Jones’ future is unknown, even to ESPN commentator and MLS sleuth Taylor "Scoops" Twellman. Jones apparently has interest from teams in England, Germany, and Brazil to go along with MLS. If the 34-year-old does stay domestic, he could stay with the Revs or land elsewhere. The latter option would require a trade, according to Twellman.

Though another year (or more) of Jones could prove to be fruitful for the Revs, it might be best to play the market, especially if Jones wants a multi-year contract. Jones is a nationally-recognized figure that would instantly bring credibility to a team. Lest we forget that he’s also a solid soccer player.

So who would be interested in Jones? The LA Galaxy makes the most sense because Jones has a home there. The Galaxy have long been a team of stars and the organization isn’t shy about adding aging players. That said, Jones would be a luxury for the Galaxy, who have been getting solid contributions from Juninho while trying to make Steven Gerrard work.

Staying in California, the San Jose Earthquakes could be a possible destination. The Earthquakes have some talented youth in the center of the park (think 22-year-old Fatai Alashe and 25-year-old Anibal Godoy) but experience can be critical. Jones is a hard-nosed player that brings a certain unquantifiable edge to a team. A move to the Earthquakes could be a possibility.

In reality, Jones could land anywhere. The Colorado Rapids could use him. Same goes for the Philadelphia Union. Imagine Real Salt Lake starting Jones alongside Kyle Beckerman. Anything is possible when you’re trying to deal a World Cup vet.

With this in mind, the Revs need to be looking for the right deal. It should be more than Allocation Money. If the draft looks particularly good, the Revs could grab a top pick from the Chicago Fire (#1 overall), Rapids (#2), or Union (#3).

The Revolution could also trade for a player or two, a rarity in MLS. There are a number of experienced individuals that are rumored to be on the trading block, including Omar Gonzalez, Will Johnson, and Osvaldo Alonso. Adding a solid contributor, let alone a starter, would be huge for the Revolution.

Jones has been important to the Revs, no doubt about it. But if his time in New England is over, he shouldn’t walk away for free. This is a big-name player who does big-time things on the field. The Revs should be taking any and all calls about trades, especially if Jones wants to remain in MLS.