Twas the Night Before the MLS Draft

And not much is stirring in terms of trades.

The Galaxy though have made a move this afternoon, picking up Mike Magee, the longest-tenured player in New York, in exchange for a second round pick in next year's draft.

Magee, like recent addition Stefani Miglioranzi, is a utility player. As one Galaxy official said to me recently such players have increased in importance with the shuttering of the reserve division because smaller squads mean more adaptable players are needed.

"Mike is a very good attacking player and can play in a number of positions," Galaxy General Manager and Head Coach Bruce Arena said. "At 24 years old, Mike brings us some proven quality and experience. I believe he will be a great asset to our team."

From the (edited) Galaxy press release: Magee, 24, is a six-year MLS veteran who originally joined the Red Bulls in 2003 as an 18-year-old. A Chicago native, he has played in 130 games during his MLS career, scoring 23 goals and adding 13 assists, including five goals and an assist in 26 games in 2008.

Originally drafted by the MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) in the first round (4th overall) of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Magee scored a career-best seven goals in his rookie season, establishing himself as one of the top young talents in MLS. In August 2006, he was joined in New York by Arena, who was hired to coach the Red Bulls.

However, Magee was limited to just ten games in 15 months under the now-Galaxy head coach as a result of a knee injury. Fully recovered from his injury, Magee returned to play in 26 games for New York last season, his most since 2005, scoring five times, including three game-winning goals, to help lead the Red Bulls to the MLS Cup final for the first time in club history.