HOUSTON (Dec. 23, 2025) – Houston Dynamo FC traded midfielder Brooklyn Raines to the New England Revolution in exchange for $1.6 million in a cash-for-player trade, plus up to $400,000 in additional compensation if additional conditions are met. Houston may also retain a percentage of a future transfer fee if the player is transferred above a certain monetary amount.
“Firstly, we would like to sincerely thank Brooklyn for his years of hard work, commitment and dedication to the Houston Dynamo since arriving as a young 16-year-old a few years ago,” said Dynamo President of Soccer Pat Onstad. “We are proud that one of our Homegrown Players is taking the next step in his career and our player pathway system continues to cultivate top-level talent with opportunities in Houston and beyond. This significant cash trade will allow us to reinvest and reallocate resources to additional areas of our roster as we push to compete for trophies in 2026. We wish Brooklyn and his family the best in the next chapter of his career.”
In Houston, Raines’ trajectory illustrates another success story for the Club’s player pathway system. The midfielder originally signed a Homegrown Player contract with the Dynamo in February 2022 as a 16-year-old, first spending most of his playing time with Houston Dynamo 2 in MLS NEXT Pro, where he helped the team earn three consecutive MLSNP playoffs appearances between 2022-24. Throughout that time, Raines continued to earn first team minutes and, last season, established himself as a key contributor in the first team’s midfield.
Raines made 61 appearances in all competitions with the Dynamo, totaling one goal and two assists. He made his MLS debut at just 17 years, five months and 24 days (Sept. 4, 2022, at SEA) and became the youngest player in Dynamo history to start an MLS match (Mar. 25, 2023, vs. NYCFC) at 18 years and 14 days. Additionally, the American became the youngest player in Dynamo history to complete a full match (Oct. 10, 2024, at STL) at 19 years and 208 days.
With the Dynamo, Raines scored his debut first team goal in match-winning style versus the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup to help the Dynamo advance to the Round of 32 and eventually win the entire tournament. The title marked Houston’s second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title and fourth domestic championship. The midfielder has also recorded two assists for the Dynamo, both coming this year – his first in a 4-1 U.S. Open Cup victory versus USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC and his second versus Liga MX side Tigres UANL in a Leagues Cup match.
In October, the young American was named to Major League Soccer’s 2025 22 Under 22 class that highlights the best young international and domestic players across the league. In December, Raines was nominated for U.S. Soccer’s 2025 Young Male Player of the Year Award.
The highly touted U.S. Men’s National Team prospect played a key role in helping the U-20 squad win their group at the U-20 World Cup and make a run to the quarterfinals after featuring in every match. Raines also featured in every match of the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship where the U.S. reached the final versus Mexico.
The transaction marks Houston’s third involvement in the league’s new cash-for-player trade mechanism and the second time that Houston has traded a player using this system. In February, the Dynamo acquired midfielder Jack McGlynn in an historic cash trade, sending $2.1 million in exchange for the 21-year-old U.S. Men’s National Team player to mark the first cash for player trade for a Homegrown player in MLS history and one of the largest trades in league history. In April, the Dynamo traded forward Aliyu Ibrahim to the Columbus Crew in exchange for a guaranteed $450,000 and a future sell-on percentage, with an additional $750,000 in cash if certain performance metrics are met.
