MLS Montreal trades player who won't get vaccinated

[LadyStanley]

CF Montréal trades Erik Hurtado after he declined COVID-19 vaccine

CF Montrèal approached Erik Hurtado after taking the COVID-19 vaccine before trading him.

They've been playing home games in Florida during pandemic, but have chance to return to Montreal to play, except for reluctant player on roster.

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[Barclay Donaldson]

The player has every right to not get the vaccine.

And the team has every right to trade him for any reason under the sun, including him not wanting to get the vaccine.

 

[golfortennis]

The player has every right to not get the vaccine.

And the team has every right to trade him for any reason under the sun, including him not wanting to get the vaccine.

I'm not sure I agree with the second, but I'm not up on the legalities to know the answer. Morally I think it's wrong. But more importantly, does this create a situation where FAs may not want to sign in Montreal if that is their MO? I don't know how MLS free agency works all that well, so take this with a grain of salt, but I could see a number of players who would either a)not want to play for an organization that would do this, or b)would require a much higher salary to sign because of it.

 

[PanniniClaus]

CF Montréal trades Erik Hurtado after he declined COVID-19 vaccine

CF Montrèal approached Erik Hurtado after taking the COVID-19 vaccine before trading him.

They've been playing home games in Florida during pandemic, but have chance to return to Montreal to play, except for reluctant player on roster.

If it was a better player they might find a way but Hurtado has never ever been more than a marginal player... one career season in MLS as a true starter for a Vancouver team that is always starved for talent.

 

[PCSPounder]

He’s a Beaverton guy, so I have every right to express profound displeasure with his choice.

I don’t think his being traded from Montreal for the reasons specified will hurt Club de Foot’s FA standing. There aren’t that many anti-vaxxers in MLS. Montreal has other reasons FAs may hesitate, but not this. Besides, no, he was kind of in the Timbers development “system,” and while he was rejected in favor of a lesser talented local, he wasn’t an improvement on anyone the Timbers had when they got better in 2013.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I'm not sure I agree with the second, but I'm not up on the legalities to know the answer. Morally I think it's wrong. But more importantly, does this create a situation where FAs may not want to sign in Montreal if that is their MO? I don't know how MLS free agency works all that well, so take this with a grain of salt, but I could see a number of players who would either a)not want to play for an organization that would do this, or b)would require a much higher salary to sign because of it.

Legally and morally, a team can trade a player for any reason they want. The player doesn't like chunky peanut butter? They can trade him. He doesn't know the capital of Iceland? They can trade him.

In terms of morals, how can you think it is wrong for a team to trade a player, who at best in a fringe player on any team in a league, that stands between them and being closer to normal, pre-Covid operations?

Since you clearly don't know how free agency or trading legality works, I'll take everything you've said here with a grain of salt.

 

[Peter Puck]

I'm not sure I agree with the second, but I'm not up on the legalities to know the answer. Morally I think it's wrong. But more importantly, does this create a situation where FAs may not want to sign in Montreal if that is their MO? I don't know how MLS free agency works all that well, so take this with a grain of salt, but I could see a number of players who would either a)not want to play for an organization that would do this, or b)would require a much higher salary to sign because of it.

I think it much more likely that players will not want to sign with a team which has one or more unvaccinated players. I can definitely see some players refusing to share a dressing room with an unvaccinated teammate.

 

[LPHabsFan]

Counterpoint. Rather than let a player be forced to stay away from the team due his decision to not get vaccinated and therefore not be allowed to be with the team for large chunks of the season due to quarantine rules, they did right by the player and traded him so that he can continue playing.

If it was about the teams "feelings" towards players not being vaccinated, then they probably would have traded him right away when the rest of the team got their vaccines.

 

[LeHab]

Somehow surprised reason was made public. While I appreciate transparency, think both side have more to lose by making it public.

 

[HABitual Fan]

Nobody tried to force him to be vaccinated, that was his right and choice. Canadian Covid rules for unvaccinated travelers, trying to enter Canada, would effectively force the team to only have him available for about 50% of their games. He could play exclusively in Canada, or exclusively in the USA, but not both. The team did the only thing possible by trading him to a USA based team where he would only miss the handful of road games against the 3 Canadian teams. This was best for both the player and club. The decision to not get the vaccine was no different than if he had a legal issue that prohibited him from entering Canada in terms of availability for the team.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Birth Defect Montreal doing the right thing, imo.