Zoom out, and it seemed like a bit of an absurd trade. Last week, Philadelphia and Colorado came to an agreement that would see the Union send eight MLS draft picks, spread out over three years, to the Rapids for an initial $350,000 in general allocation money. To the outsider, the Union were parting with up to eight valuable assets, for a middling financial return.
But what the trade really did was tell the story of the differing schools of thought around the MLS draft. Since its advent in 2000, the annual SuperDraft has been a reliable method for bringing in talent. But in recent years, with improving MLS academies and the increasing appeal of the league - both at home and abroad - the way teams have approached it has changed.
The transaction, then, was indicative of a far bigger picture.
"Philly have decided it's strategically not worth their while to dedicate resources to the collegiate draft because we're spending so much time and energy on our academy," Rapids Sporting Director Fran Taylor told GOAL. "We're just not in the most talent rich area. So we are open to recruitment opportunities at different parts of our development pathway."