SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has signed veteran forward Chad Barrett via free agency. Barrett is the club’s first-ever free agent signing. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Barrett, 30, is an 11-year MLS veteran with 56 goals, 18 game-winning goals and 30 assists over his career. A dangerous scoring threat, Barrett has tallied at least five goals in eight of the past 10 seasons. He is one of 10 players in MLS history to record 50 or more goals and 30 or more assists, while making fewer than 175 starts.
“I’m very happy to be continuing my career with San Jose,” said Barrett. “I’m excited to join Dominic Kinnear and John Doyle and the great group of guys they have over there and am looking forward to helping the team any way I can.”
In 2015, Barrett scored five goals in 18 total league appearances, while making nine starts. In addition to his brace on the road against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on May 16, Barrett displayed his flair for the dramatic by scoring in the 91st minute against the New York Red Bulls on May 31, the first minute against the LA Galaxy on August 9 and in the 93rd minute against LA on October 4.
“Chad is coming off very good season last year,” said head coach Dominic Kinnear. “Adding Chad makes us a more dangerous attacking team next season.”
Barrett was the third overall pick by the Chicago Fire in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, scoring 18 goals in 82 appearances with the club over the following three and a half seasons. On July 30, 2008, he was traded along with the Fire’s 2009 first round draft pick and conditional future considerations to Toronto FC in exchange for the top spot in the allocation order.
The former UCLA Bruin scored 16 goals for Toronto FC through the end of the 2010 season, before being traded to the LA Galaxy on January 13, 2011 in exchange for future considerations. He remained with LA for two seasons, scoring eight goals in 45 appearances, also spending time on loan with Norway’s Valerenga in 2012.
In his lone season with the Revolution in 2013, Barrett tallied two goals and two assists, before being acquired by Seattle Sounders FC in the Re-Entry Draft. Barrett has spent the last two seasons with Seattle, where he scored 12 goals, including five game-winning goals, in 34 games.
Internationally, Barrett has represented the U.S. at the U-18, U-20, U-23 and senior-team levels, including scoring three goals at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Holland.
