Orlando City SC, first, sent longtime Lions goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. to D.C. United on Dec. 19, and now the Central Florida side has sent away another one of its primary goalkeepers.
The Lions have traded perennially starting goalkeeper Joe Bendik to Columbus Crew SC, City announced on Dec. 27. In return, Orlando City received $50,000 in targeted-allocation money for the 2019 season.
As the Lions’ starting keeper the last three seasons, Bendik has amassed 92 appearances and 91 starts, recording 13 clean sheets and a 25-42-25 record. He tallied 316 saves in his time as a Lion, stopping five of the 18 penalty kicks he faced.
Orlando City has already added to their final-man defense, recently acquiring goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh from Louisville City FC.
City also have the flexibility of adding a keeper through the draft, as they have seven picks: No. 3, No. 27, No. 38, No. 59, No. 75, No. 94 and No. 96. The 2019 Major League Soccer SuperDraft will be held on Jan. 11., 2019, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
For more on the Lions, as they reshape their roster for the 2019 season, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com.
