The San Jose Earthquakes, who missed the playoffs and had the league's third-fewest goals scored in 2015, added some punch to their attack on Monday with the signing of free-agent forward Chad Barrett.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, per league and club policy.
Barrett, 30, is an 11-year MLS veteran with 56 goals and 30 assists to his name. The Quakes are the sixth MLS team he has signed with over that time. He was originally drafted in 2005 by the Chicago Fire, for whom he scroed 18 goals in 82 games over three-plus season. He has also had stints with Toronto FC, LA Galaxy, New England Revolution, and, most recently, with the Seattle Sounders.
“I’m very happy to be continuing my career with San Jose,” said Barrett. “I’m excited to join [head coach] Dominic Kinnear and [general manager] John Doyle and the great group of guys they have over there and am looking forward to helping the team any way I can.”
Last season with Seattle, Barrett struggled for playing time behind superstar forwards Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins. Still, in just 18 matches, he managed to score five goals, including a 91st-minute winner against the New York Red Bulls on May 31 and a 93rd-minute equalizer against the Galaxy on October 4.
"Chad is coming off a very good season last year," Kinnear said. "Adding Chad makes us a more dangerous attacking team next season."
After lighting up the league for 72 goals in 2012, San Jose's offense has struggled the past three seasons, finishing in the bottom four in scoring in the league each year. In 2015, they finished with just 41 goals scored, tied for the third fewest in the league. Chris Wondolowski had 16 goals on the season, but only one player had more than Barrett's five goals, Quincy Amarikwa, who notched six for the season.
