ON THE CLOCK
Houston Dynamo in the MLS SuperDraft under GM Matt Jordan
Jan 9, 2020, 7:51 am
ON THE CLOCK
The Houston Dynamo hold the eighth overall pick in Thursday's 2020 MLS SuperDraft (11:30 a.m. CT, ESPN+).
Once a source of solid contribuitors to the club, only five of the 18 SuperDraft selections under Matt Jordan's five-season tenure have seen MLS minutes for the Houston Dynamo.
The Dynamo have actually gotten more by trading away draft picks. For example, the acquisition of Goalkeeper Joe Willis in 2016 was one that provided the Dynamo a solid contributor and starter until he was traded to Nashville this offseason.
The following is every draft choice of Jordan's tenure as the club's Senior Vice President/General Manager:
[Players in bold remain with the club]
Round 1, #8 overall - Midfielder - Zach Steinberger (3 games played, 29 MLS mins)
Round 2, #30 overall - Defender - Oumar Ballo (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 2, #36 overall - Forward - Rob Lovejoy (19 GP, 351 MLS mins)
Round 3, #49 overall - Defender - Taylor Hunter (1 GP, 90 MLS mins)
Round 2, #26 overall - Defender - Ivan Magalhães (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 3, #47 overall - Defender - T. J. Casner (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Trades:
Round 1, #6 overall - Traded to Philadelphia Union along with general allocation money, and targeted allocation money in exchange for midfielder Cristian Maidana and forward Andrew Wenger (December 7, 2015)
Round 4, #67 overall - Traded to D.C. United along with midfielder Andrew Driver in exchange for goalkeeper Joe Willis and defender Samuel Inkoom (December 8, 2014)
Round 1, #10 overall - Midfielder - Joe Holland (5 GP, 22 MLS mins)
Round 2, #30 overall - Goalkeeper - Jake McGuire (0 GP, 0 MLS mins) [Acquired by trading Corey Ashe to Orlando]
Round 2, #36 overall - Defender - Danilo Radjen (0 GP, 0 MLS mins) [Acquired by trading Brad Davis to Kansas City]
Round 4, #70 overall - Defender - Robby Sagel (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Trades:
Round 1, #4 overall - Traded to Portland Timbers for the the #10 pick, an international roster spot and $100,000 in general allocation money.
Round 3, #48 - Traded to Real Salt Lake for defender Abdoulie Mansally
Round 1, #20 overall - Goalkeeper -Michael Nelson (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 2, #43 overall - Forward - Mac Steeves (3 GP, 26 MLS mins)
Round 3, #59 overall - Midfielder - Pablo Aguilar (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 3, #66 overall - Defender - Sheldon Sullivan (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 4, #89 overall - Defender - Manny Padilla (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Signed to affiliate RGVFC outside of the draft: Goalkeeper Nico Corti, Midfielder Bryce Marion
Round 1, #8 overall - Defender - Sam Junqua (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 2, #33 overall - Defender - Andrew Samuels (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Round 3, #56 overall - Midfielder - Brad Dunwell (0 GP, 0 MLS mins)
Trades:
Round 2, #32 overall - Traded to Chicago Fire in exchange for midfielder Arturo Alvarez (December 10, 2017)
Round 4, #80 overall - Traded to Real Salt Lake in exchange for the MLS rights to midfielder Luis Gil for the 2018 season (April 23, 2018)
Cam Smith hit two of Houston's five home runs and finished with four hits as the Astros routed the Athletics 13-3 on Tuesday night to halt their four-game winning streak.
CAM SOLO SHOT!#VoteCam ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 pic.twitter.com/7rrvEtpEm0
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 18, 2025
Jason Alexander, claimed off waivers from the Athletics last month, pitched six shutout innings for Houston before tiring in the seventh. Mauricio Dubón, Christian Walker and Cooper Hummel also homered for the Astros.
Smith and Dubón went back-to-back in the fourth.
AIRCRAFT. CARRIER. #VoteCam pic.twitter.com/UcXm8NVs60
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 18, 2025
Smith connected for leadoff shots in the second and fourth. He drove in three runs and scored three times. The 22-year-old rookie has five major league homers — and two multihomer games.
Dubón followed Smith's second home run with his second this season for a 5-0 lead against A's starter JP Sears, who walked the bases loaded in the first before giving up a two-run single to Jake Meyers.
Smith finished off his first four-hit game with an RBI double in the eighth.
Alexander (1-0) threw a season-high 95 pitches in his 12th career start and first since Sept. 18, 2022, with Milwaukee. He allowed three runs — two earned — and three hits.