Austin FC announced today the Club acquired defender Matt Hedges via a trade with Toronto FC. In exchange, Toronto will receive up to $475,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) – $375,000 in 2024 GAM and up to an additional $100,000 in 2025 GAM conditioned on the player’s roster status on January 1, 2024.
Upon completion of the trade, Hedges signed a new contract with Austin that will keep him with the Verde & Black through the end of the 2024 season with options for 2025 and 2026.
“Austin FC is a growing organization with everything in place to be successful,” said Hedges. “I’m excited to join the team and can’t wait to get started.”
Hedges is currently in his 12th season in Major League Soccer (MLS). He spent the 2012-2022 seasons with FC Dallas, recording 18 goals and four (4) assists in 310 MLS appearances for the club. He was named to the MLS Best XI in both 2015 and 2016, and in 2016 was named MLS Defender of the Year after captaining his side to the Supporters’ Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles. Hedges received MLS All-Star honors in the 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons.
Hedges joined Toronto FC following the 2022 season, making 14 appearances for the Canadian club in 2023. He is one of only 25 players in league history to play at least 27,000 career regular season minutes, and ranks eighth among active MLS players in minutes played.
“We’re delighted to welcome Matt and his family to Austin and to Austin FC,” said Austin FC Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell. “He has consistenly been one of the league’s best center backs for the last decade, and his talent and experience will be very valuable to the team.”
At the senior international level, Hedges made five (5) appearances for the United States Men’s National Team between 2015 and 2017. He was a member of the USMNT which won the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup, playing 90 minutes in victories over Martinique in the group stage and El Salvador in the quarterfinals.
Prior to turning professional, Hedges grew up in Carmel, Indiana. He played three (3) seasons of collegiate soccer at Butler University and one (1) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the Horizon League Defender of the Year as both a sophomore and a junior, and the ACC Defender of the Year as a senior, helping UNC win an NCAA championship. Dallas selected Hedges with the 11th overall pick of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft.
Transaction: Austin FC agrees to a trade with Toronto FC to acquire defender Matt Hedges. In exchange, Toronto will receive up to $475,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) – $375,000 in 2024 GAM and up to an additional $100,000 in 2025 GAM conditioned on the player’s roster status on January 1, 2024.
Upon completion of the trade, Hedges signed a new contract with Austin through the end of the 2024 MLS season with options for 2025 and 2026.
Player Details: Matt Hedges
Pronunciation: HEDGE-is
Position: Defender
Height: 6’4”
Kit Number: 2
Date of Birth: April 1, 1990
Age: 33
Born: Rochester, NY
Citizenship: United States
Last club: Toronto FC
How acquired: Acquired via a trade with Toronto FC on July 26, 2023.
Roster Designation: Senior
