Since becoming the Portland Timbers’ general manager in 2023, Ned Grabavoy has emphasized utilizing Major League Soccer’s free-agent and trade market to strengthen the roster. Last January, the team pried goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau from LAFC and made a trade with Inter Miami to acquire defender Kamal Miller in preparation for the 2024 season. Midway through the year, they added forward Mason Toye from Montréal to bolster the attack.
The approach has continued into this winter’s transfer window, too.
Just a few weeks ago, the team announced the signing of free agent Ariel Lassiter to a two-year deal. Lassiter, 30, has already logged nearly 150 appearances with five different MLS clubs over the span of a decade as a professional. He made stops at both Chicago and Montréal during the previous season, where he recorded three goals and seven assists in 27 matches.
The journeyman’s most valuable asset on the field might be his ability to play almost any position on the field. He typically operates as a left winger but can also function as a left wingback or even play up top in the number 9 spot. It is expected that Lassiter will take up the available minutes Marvin Loria, who departed for Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa earlier this offseason, is leaving behind.
Technically, Lassiter is gifted with excellent pace and ball control. He profiles very similarly to the Timbers’ starting fullbacks Claudio Bravo and Juan David Mosquera, guys who like to push forward from their usual positions, overlapping with wingers or cutting inside to create more attacking opportunities and stretch the opponent’s defense. The unique part about Lassiter’s game, however, is his ability to deliver low, driven crosses at a consistent rate. This skill set could make him an invaluable asset to the team’s top finishers, particularly Felipe Mora, who thrives on those types of deliveries into the box.
One question this move raises for Head Coach Phil Neville is whether it signals a potential shift away from his beloved 4-2-3-1 formation, which he used heavily in 2024. Lassiter (and both Bravo and Mosquera) are best suited to play as wingback, while the team does have the center-back depth to support a three-at-the-back system. Is it really a good idea to leave even fewer bodies back defensively? Such a shift could be a perilous gamble for a team that conceded 56 goals last season while greatly struggling with their transition defense.
Depth is always important, however, and we found that out watching the Timbers’ most productive players run out of steam at the end of the season due to a heavy workload with limited rest. Given the cheap price and the player’s familiarity with the league, it’s hard to view this as anything but a smart piece of business by Grabavoy and company.
